Law & Order
by Ruby Plushie
Summary: Framed for a crime he didn't commit, Naruto Uzumaki is looking at twenty five to life for the murder of a rival gang memeber. Lucky for him though he's got the legal service of the Uchiha & Uchiha law firm on his side. SasuNaru. YAOI!
1. First Degree Murder

**Disclaimer:** Guess what? I own ALL the Naruto characters now! It's awesome! I love it. Can you say orgy? I can. XD

**Warning:** This my friends...whoever you may be, is going to be my life's work. It'll be the one story I'ma become obsessed with! It's yaoi of course! So piss off if you don't like it and...:slap: Yaoi ish hawt. No flames about that or I'll smite you with my Godly powers.

**Plushie StickyNote:** I'd really like to dedicate this to My Motivation- Sargie. She keeps me writing and I love her for it. Do like your surprise? My story's just for her! Well...You other people can read it too of course..But...YEAH! You know what I mean.

**Please Enjoy!**

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First Degree Murder

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Silence hung heavily in the air as the sun settled just beyond the horizon.

Seconds later, a flash of green illuminated the sky and the sun was gone, leaving the surrounding area in a heavy mist of darkness

Walking in the haze of the evening a dark figure made his way through a scarcely lit alleyway, ducking around a corner to stand in front of a large warehouse. He gulped. It was all or nothing, he guessed. This was his last chance.

With a heavy sigh, he reached a hand out and grabbed the handle bar of the door, using all his weight to push the door aside and creep in through the small space it provided for entrance. Taking a few cautious steps farther into the seemingly abandoned warehouse, he jumped slightly when the door closed behind him with a resounding _'__bang'. _

"A little jumpy tonight, aren't we?" a slithering voice sneered from behind, causing the brunette to jump again, turning to stare into a pair of snake-like eyes laced heavily with malice. They glowed evilly in the shadows, causing the poor boy to shudder involuntarily. He always wondered about the man's eyes… He was pretty sure that they were contacts, though.

"Sorry, sir. It's just kind of dark in here."

It was true. All that kept the warehouse from being completely engulfed in darkness was the single lit lamp that swung hazardously from the center of the ceiling. Stacks of large crates stood towering around him, casting sharp shadows around the room, and the rare sound of squeaking rats added to the eeriness of the entire situation.

He would have given his right arm to leave right about now, but he was on a mission, and he couldn't fail. Not when he was so close to gaining the one thing he'd desired most. But, dammit, it was scary in here!

"Scared of the dark? That's a bit cowardly considering your line of _work._" A second figure emerged from the shadows, startling the already fearful boy into quickly turning around, locking gazes with a lifeless ruby pair. Now he couldn't decide which eyes scared him more.

The boy, having no response to the accusation, stayed silent, watching from the corner of his eye as another two figures stepped into the light, a tall raven-haired man with midnight black eyes, and an even taller man whose complexion seemed to shine pale blue in the light. His nervousness doubled instantaneously. What the hell where _they _doing here?

He didn't have time to voice confusion, though, because he was turned around _again_ by the same snake-like voice from before, addressing him in a deceptively calming tone.

"Did you bring what we asked of you?" Stepping into the light in one graceful stride, an older-looking man stood in front of the frightened brunette, sending him an evil grin.

Stuttering the burnette dug a hand into his coat pocket, fishing around for something, "Y-yes sir. Right here-" Fingers brushing against a large envelope, he pulled it out of his coat, holding it out to the other man.

With a smirk, the snake-eyed man snatched the envelope and with great care, opened it up, turning it up side down to dump its contents into his awaiting hand.

Now, he clasped a total of four pairs of gloves, but these weren't any old gloves. They had taken almost three weeks to make, each digit of each finger imprinted with the corresponding fingerprint of an actual person's hands.

Hands that belonged to one specific person.

"They're exactly what you ordered, sir. Four pairs of identical gloves with _his_ fingerprints." He was still nervous, but willed himself to relax as he addressed the smirking man. The job was done, and it was about time to get out of there.

"Good work." A nod towards the boy, excusing him, and the man turned to examine the gloves, handing the other three pairs to his other companions.

"Thank you, sir. I'll be going now." Walking quickly towards the door, the brunette grabbed the handle bar almost desperately and started to push the door ajar. He was almost out of there before a sinister voice spoke up behind him, causing him to halt in his escape as he turned to glare at the red-headed man.

"What?" He knew he was being disrespectful, but he _really _wanted to get out of there.

"We'd like you to do one more thing for us." A deep chuckle escaped the ruby-eyed man as he stepped forward, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder and pulling him back into the middle of the light.

The expression on the boy's face was priceless. _So scared_… He licked his lips in anticipation.

"W-what's that?" Nooooo. He'd been so _close! _What the hell could they want now? Taking a deep, but not so calming breath, he glanced up, catching sight of something glinting from the other man's pocket, but ignored it.

"It's just a small task. Stand there for a second."

That didn't sound too hard. He could do that, no problem. But why would they need him-

A flash of metal and the killing end of a double-edged knife struck the brunette across the throat before he could finish his thought. Staggering, he clutched at his neck with both hands, gasping loudly for breath. Eyes wide with fear and confusion, the dying boy fell to his knees and collapsed onto his stomach seconds later.

As the scene faded into the night, the quiet chuckle of the four men could be heard as they watched the body of an innocent die slowly, every second an agonizing wait for the end to come.

"Why-" A tick away from seeing the end of his tunnel, a silent gust of wind blew through an open window, taking the brunette's dying word with it.

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**Plushie StickyNote: **I know it's short, but I didn't wanna scare you away just yet. They'll get longer as the story progresses. DON'T LEAVE!

**Quote:** "I hope there's an afterlife. So I can waste that too."

©2006 Ruby Plushie


	2. Criminal Intent

**Disclaimer:** Kay. Ya'll know that I own all the Naruto characters. If you don't believe me check my bed. Sasuke and Naruto are in there right now. (Some of you better be able to take a joke. I have a million of them.)

**Warning:** It's yaoi people. BOY'S, hugging, kissing, licking, doing unspeakable stuff too, other BOY'S! You don't like it? Then don't read. Stupid homophobes...t(-.-t)

**Everyone else, please enjoy!**

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Criminal Intent

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Sirens blared and dual colored lights filled the scene as police cars swarmed the large white building. Shouts could be heard down the corridors as a squad of about seven, dark clothed men stampeded down the halls, the sound of hurried footsteps echoing around them.

Rounding the corner, they came to halt and positioned themselves around a plain white door, backs against the walls and guns drawn, held firmly in their grasps. A gloved hand knocked on the door and a dark voice shouted out.

"FBI! Open up."

After waiting for about ten seconds and receiving no answer, the brunette pressed closest to the door frame nodded to his colleague on the other side of him, motioning towards the door with a jerk of his head.

Understanding the unspoken command, the other man turned fully towards the door and lifted his leg, slamming his foot hard into the painted wood, causing the lock to snap and hinges to squeak loudly in protest. A loud crack reverberated through the hallway as the door swung haphazardly against the wall and a file of FBI agents rushed into the room, guns out in front ready to shoot.

Men spread out throughout the room, a small living area to be exact, and stormed around the small apartment, a few of them branching into the kitchen and down the hall to the bathroom as another group came up to another door, inevitably leading to a bedroom.

Another nod and the door was kicked in.

Busting in, three men surrounded the bed sitting innocently off in the corner; their weapons cocked simultaneously, all pointed at the lump that lay under the covers, seemingly undisturbed by the previous racket.

As the 'lump' remained unmoving an officer cautiously edged closer to the bed, startled when a loud snore erupted from under the covers. Mumbles could be heard, and as the 'lump' shifted, the officers circled around the bed, deadpanned, lowering their guns to glance at each other uncertainly. It went without saying that none of them had ever been in a situation quite like this. Since when did someone sleep through an arrest? Especially one that had them breaking down doors and shouting like the world was about to end.

They had no clue how to handle the situation at this point… Did they arrest the 'lump', as they had deemed it, or do they wake it up first? Whoever it was looked pretty big… Lucky none of the officers had to worry about making any decisions as the local captain strode into the room seconds later, making a bee-line straight for the bed.

"Uzumaki! Get your lazy ass up right now." An irate Kakashi Hatake, Captain of the 27th Precinct, grabbed a handful of the comforter covering the 'lump' and ripped it back, exposing a stock of bright blonde hair attached to a very tan, muscled body sprawled comfortably across the mattress. He was only clad in a pair of orange boxers, small snores escaping him every once in a while. Some of the officers blushed while others shifted nervously. _Awkward_…

"Naruto! I said. Wake. Up!" Irritation at the lack of response from the sleeping man, the captain was becoming uncharacteristically angrier. This was important, and now was not the time to be standing here trying to wake up the blonde idiot. There was a lot of trouble and the boy needed to get up! Fuck, Iruka was going to be pissed if he didn't get the blonde to the station _now_.

At this point the silver-haired man didn't care how he was acting. Biting back a growl, Kakashi leaned over the sleeping man, grabbing onto a tanned arm and leg and with a vicious tug, yanked the blonde from the bed onto the cold, hard floor.

A yelp was heard as the bewildered man was painfully jolted from his sleep. He rolled over, groaning and sat up. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes with a fisted hand he gave his room a quick glance before his tired blue eyes landed on the silver-haired man in front of him. He yawned loudly not bothering to cover it up and stretched his arms into the air with a sleepy grunt, showing off his sun-kissed muscles as he sent the men around the room a sleepy glare.

"Kakashi. What the hell are you doing in my apartment at-" The blonde glanced at his digital clock that sat beside his bed, unsure of the time. "At two forty-seven in the goddamn morning? Get the fuck out."

All of the men in the room froze.

Not really caring for an answer, but having already asked nonetheless, the blonde dismissed everyone around him, turned around, and crawled back onto his bed, dragging the covers along with him. Once he was back in a comfy position, he closed his eyes, addressing the glaring man behind him again in a sleepy mumble. "'m sleepy…get out or I'll tell 'ruka."

Who the hell talked to a police captain like that? Apparently the kid knew the captain from somewhere, but the lack of respect was shocking, especially when he was about to be arrested.

Kakashi stalked closer to the bed, towering over the blonde. "Naruto, I won't say it again. Get your ass up and out of there, because if you don't, I'll have Genma in here in less time then it takes to say 'Happy Birthday'." He knew it was low, but at the moment, nothing mattered more then getting the blonde out of here.

Blue eyes snapped open and a horrified expression spread over the blonde's features. "Fine! I'm up. I'm up!" Naruto jumped up from his bed and barreled through a few FBI agents, running into his closet and dressing himself with lightning fast speed. He emerged moments later, fully dressed in black slacks and a blinding orange shirt, glaring at a smug-looking Kakashi.

"Now what the fuck do you want at this ungodly hour of the morning, Hatake?" Naruto crossed his arms, eyes narrowing even more at the captain.

Unperturbed by the blonde's rudeness, Kakashi grinned under his mask and placed a hand on the boys shoulder, steering him towards the door. "Sorry that I had to wake you from your much _needed _beauty sleep," Naruto sent the silver-haired captain a filthy look"But you and I have to take a little ride to the station."

Gaping, the blonde halted mid-step and turned to the man behind him, glaring cerulean daggers into his chest.

"What the hell are you talking about? It's three in the damn morning. What could be so important down at the station that you busted into my house just to get _me _to come down there?!" He sounded like a whining child, but he didn't give a fuck. It was late, he was tired, and he wanted to get back into bed. He had work tomorrow, dammit.

"Naruto, I can't give you a detailed explanation right now, but this is very serious so we need to leave." The tone in which the taller man addressed the issue caught Naruto off guard. What the hell was going on? Truth be told, he was more than a little nervous that Kakashi was even here to begin with.

Too caught up in thinking of possible reasons for the midnight wake up call he missed the odd glances around the room that were being thrown his way.

Kakashi coughed into his hand and broke the tense silence, jolting the blonde gently out of his thoughts.

Startled, but trying to save face, the blonde growled. "This better be good, Hatake." And with a fierce pout, the blonde snatched up his wallet and keys from his nightstand, walking out though his broken bedroom door followed by a calm-looking Kakashi and a number of very uncertain FBI agents.

Moments after they all reached the living room, a horrified scream could be heard all the way down the hall as a very shell-shocked Naruto stood in the wake of what used to be his front door. "Well I won't be needing _these_ anymore will I?!"

Turning a dark scowl towards the silver-haired man behind him, Naruto threw his now useless keys in the man's face, earning him a loud yelp in response. "Dammit, you bastard! Why didn't you just use your spare key to open the stupid door?"

Holding the blond's keys loosely in his hand and rubbing the small scratch on his cheek left by the keys, the police captain moved to rub the back of his head, a jingling sound could be heard as he sent the seething blonde a sheepish grin.

"Well you see… there was this dog and he jumped into my pocket and stole my keys. I had to chase him all the way to China where-" As the captain re-told his story, everyone around the room sweat dropped.

All except Naruto that is, whose face had turned an angry shade of red.

One question was left hanging in everyone's mind. What had been the purpose of such a blatant lie?

"Lair. You were late weren't you?!" the blonde interrupted mid-story, pointing an accusing finger at the masked man.

"Naruto, now really is not the time to talk about such trivial things. We need to get to the station, so let's go." Kakashi replied.

The silver-haired man waved his hand dismissively, signaling the end of the discussion, and dragged a struggling muscle-bound blonde from the building, like a child from a toy store. The man's rant could be heard from down the street.

"You're paying for my doors!"

"Are you even listening to me, asshole?! I swear I'll poison your food!"

"I'm telling Iruka!"

Naruto's threats continued to escalate well after the police car door was rudely slammed in his face and everyone was on their way back to the station.

* * *

Lights flicked uncertainly in the dimly lit hallway as footsteps echoed soundlessly across the carpeted floor. A door at the end of shadowed hallway stood ajar, a soft glowing light emitting through the crack. 

A petite figure made her way carefully to the door and held up a hand, knocking against the beautifully polished wood softly.

"Uchiha-sama?" a timid voice called out.

Scribbling on the other side of the door stopped and a dark, almost soothing voice floated through the air, addressing the nervous woman.

"Come in."

Obediently, the dark-haired woman slipped off her shoes and stepped through the door into what she could only describe as another world.

The room she entered was extravagant in its beauty and simplicity. Deep reds and blacks seemed to be the theme as rich colors sprang to life around her. All the furniture was black, the cabinets and bookshelves that lined the walls, the sofa that laid innocently off to the side, chairs, and the desk were all the same deep color of endless midnight.

Everything else was red, shades ranging from the garnet-colored carpet to the walls that looked to be stained blood-red. A fact, she noted, with slight uneasiness, as she crept farther into the room. She curled her toes pleasantly into the plush red carpet, making sure to keep her footfalls light even though she hardly made a sound in the first place.

Sitting behind the luxurious desk was a glowing figure… or that's what it seemed like. A young man still in his mid-twenties sat regally with his elbows up on the desk and his slender fingers laced in front of him, acting as a stand for his chin that rested on top of them.

The man's skin was flawlessly pale, seemingly casting an eerie halo around him. It looked like ivory, free of any disfigurement and very out of place in the scarcely lit room. But what seemed to be most out of place were his ink black features. Dark hair, that when caught by the light shone blue, framed his noble face and endless ebony eyes specked with shards of broken rubies off-set the unearthly glow of the man.

He studied the girl in front of him with keen eyes, following her every step toward him with calculating boredom. What could have possibly possessed the woman to be here five hours before the office even opened?

"Is there something I can help you with, Hinata-chan?" Beautiful pale lips parted as a deep voice reverberated throughout the room, causing the shy woman to stumble slightly. She quickly recovered though and made it up to the desk, laying the folder she'd been holding down on its dark surface, sliding it toward him.

"Sorry for disturbing you so late at night Uchiha-sama," she bowed politely before straighten up again. "But your brother requested that I hand this to you immediately." She motioned to the folder with a dainty flick of her wrist and gave the man a sleepy smile.

"Aa, I see. Thank you, Hinata-chan. I'm sorry that my brother woke you up for this. You may leave." He sent her a small nod and scooped up the folder gracefully, swirling around in his chair with an air of dismissal.

"Thank you, Uchiha-sama. Good night." Bowing again, she turned and quickly exited from the room, closing the door behind her.

Alone again, Sasuke studied the closed folder in front of him curiously. He'd never known his aniki to bother anyone for something as insignificant as some documents. _Hmm… Let's see what couldn't wait until morning._

Opening the folder his eyes scanned the pages quickly. Memorizing every unimportant detail he came upon the purpose of the midnight visit etched lightly into the paper. Well _that_ was sure worth waking up a secretary for.

_Aniki must have thought I needed a head start._

Sasuke smirked at the implications of a challenge and neatly folded the folder back up, laying it down on the desk next to him. He'd ignore the case until he got a chance to speak with his brother.

_I wonder who the idiot I'm representing is… _he thought absentmindedly before returning to his earlier work.

* * *

"WHAT!?" Screeching loudly, Naruto jumped up from his seat, knocking his chair over with a loud crash as he glared down at the two men sitting in front him. 

"What do you mean they found my fingerprints at a murder scene!?" Naruto turned and picked up the chair, slamming it back on all four legs, causing the other two men to jump in their seats.

"Naruto, please lower your voice and calm down." An exhausted sigh escaped the brunette sitting on the other side of the table as he pinched the bridge of his nose, dragging the tip of his thumb gently over the scar that rested there. His heart was pounding. What a _mess! _

"Yeah, dude, take a deep breath and chill. Nothing to freak out about." Another voice spoke up, causing the blonde man to look at the other brunette sitting nervously to his godfather's right.

"Kiba, they found my prints at a crime scene! How do I avoid worrying about that?!" Naruto practically screamed at the other man, causing him to jump again and glance off to the side.

Scratching his tattooed cheek uncertainly, the unruly brunette sent his friend a wary smile. "Well, you didn't kill anyone, so you're okay."

Naruto's glare narrowed again as he settled back into his seat with an indignant huff. Today just wasn't his fucking day. The stupid FBI break down his door because that loser forgot his keys and _now _he sitting in an interrogation room being told by his Godfather and best friend that he was suspected of murder! Was it too much to have someone cut him a frickin' break?

"Naruto, you just need to tell us if you were downtown around midnight last night." Iruka spoke up, trying desperately to ease the thick tension in the room.

Naruto slumped back against his chair, burying his face in his hands. He mumbled something and sighed heavily.

"Sorry Naruto, but I don't speak Mumbles. Could you repeat that?" There was a nervous laugh before a pair of sapphire eyes snapped up towards the dog-lover and narrowed dangerously.

"Kiba, would you stop fucking around. Yeah! I was downtown around eleven, eleven thirty, checking up on some things. Then I headed home and crawled my tired ass into bed. I didn't kill anyone!" With an exasperated sigh the blonde man sprawled out onto the table, nuzzling his cheek against the cool metal. He was so tired that even the hard table surface seemed to be made of feathers. _Sleeeeeeeeeep. _

Both brunettes on the other side of the table traded uncertain glances with each other before locking back at the man half-asleep on the table. Well that hadn't been any help.

"Naruto. Do you have anyone who could corroborate that?" Iruka really hoped that the blond would say yes. If so, then they could let Naruto go and look for the real killer, but an almost animalistic growl that emitted from the blonde was his answer.

"If I did, I wouldn't be sitting here now would I, Iruka?" Naruto lifted himself tiredly from his seat and started to pace around the room, working his bottom lip hard between his teeth.

Iruka frowned and nodded, knowing that his godson was right. He should have given him more credit. Of course Naruto would have told them if he had anyone that could help.

"Well fuck, man! Is there any way you could prove you were at home?!" Kiba jumped up and grabbed the pacing man by the shoulders, shaking him. "Because we have a dude telling us that he saw you leaving the area around the murder last night! Think, man!"

Naruto's head bobbed back and forth as the shaking continued, his words coming out in a jumble of broken syllables. "W-what?! Kiba, l-let go!" What the hell was he talking about? They had a witness?

"Kiba!" Iruka stood from his seat and wrenched the tattooed man off Naruto, glaring at him. "Relax."

Naruto coughed a bit and shook his head, regaining some of his scrambled thoughts before realization hit him in the face. "A witness?!Are you telling that you guys have someone who saw me kill somebody?!" Naruto looked horrified, eyes wide and body tensed as he stared the other men down, demanding an answer.

"No, he didn't say he saw you killing anyone. Just that he saw _you _leaving the area of the murder around the same time it happened." The other man's voice held a bit of hope, knowing that the witness could very well be mistaken or just plain lying.

Naruto eyes slowly regained their original shape as he leaned again the nearest wall and slid down it, coming to rest on the cold floor. He dropped his head into his awaiting hands and let lose a string of mumbled curses that, had Satan himself been listening, would have made him drop dead where he stood.

"Naruto…Watch your language, please." He couldn't help but continue playing his fatherly role towards the blond man, even if right now that wasn't going to help them very much. Iruka watched as his godson lifted himself up and walked over to the door, not even turning as he spoke, his tone low.

"I need some air."

"Naruto-" Kiba called out.

"Don't worry, flea-bag, I'm not going to try and escape. You know how much I hate running anyway." Naruto interrupted his friend, sending him a fake grin before turning and walking out the door.

"Be back in a few."

Naruto needed to get away from there. He needed to get away from that room…It contained the shattered pieces of his life, and he was left without any duct tape to fix it. _How could today get any worse now?_

* * *

Sasuke was pretty sure that the police station had to be the last place he would ever willingly enter. All the hustle and bustle of the police officers seemed all too boring as they made their trips to the coffee machine and back to their desks to scribble away useless notes while phones attached themselves to their ears. 

He couldn't claim to like police officers very much. They had a nasty habit of gathering evidence illegally and making it almost impossible for him to produce a case. It really wasn't that difficult to get a warrant, but noooooo, they just _have_ to do it their way. He couldn't count the number of motions he'd been denied due to an officer's arrogance.

Suitcase swinging from his hand, Sasuke moved in long strides down the hall, taking no notice in the female officers and a few male officers who'd stopped working to gape at him. The feeling of their eyes on him was all too familiar and easily ignored.

He had no time to acknowledge people who would stop working just to stare at him.

Making his way towards the back of the police station, Sasuke let his mind wander briefly to the talk he'd had with his brother only an hour ago.

---Flashback---

_Knock. Knock. Knock. _

"_Come in." a deep voice commanded. _

_Sasuke pushed through the door and moved gracefully into a simply designed office, stepping up in front of a dark-haired man working languidly at his desk. _

"_Aniki, could you explain this to me?" The youngest Uchiha sounded disgruntled as he dropped the folder in his hand onto the desk and slid it under the other man's nose, crossing his arms over his chest and sending the other man a cool look. "I thought you said that I wasn't going to get any high-level cases until a year after my employment."_

_Dark eyes raised themselves to look into a twin pair, calculating and emotionless._

_Straightening up, the older man answered. "Well, little brother, I believe you've earned the chance to prove yourself as a valuable asset to this firm. I understand if you need more time to adjust and if you don't wish to take the case, I'll just simply give it to someone more _capable_." Itachi smirked challengingly knowing that his bother's pride would kick in before he even had a chance to think of another lawyer he could give the case to._

_Very unlike himself, and probably the most out of character he'd ever allow himself to get in front of _anyone_, Sasuke pouted slightly and snatched the folder from the desk. His face became impassive seconds later, scared of looking _too _eager in front of the older man._

"_No. Don't bother anyone else, I can do it." Sasuke bowed half-heartedly and let a rare smile etch itself onto his face as he moved back out of the room._

_Stopping in between the doorframe and the hallway, Sasuke placed a hand on the door, looking to close it before focusing his eyes on his brother, who had returned to his work. _

_He muttered softy, knowing that it fell on deft ears but nonetheless let it drift into the air with an undertone of gratefulness, before stepping through the threshold and closing the door behind him silently. "Thank you, aniki."_

_Dark eyes glanced up and rubies dancedas a smirk settled itself onto Itachi's face, gazing at the spot where his brother has just been. Leaning back in his chair, he dropped the pen gracelessly onto the desk and laced his fingers in front of himself. He whispered softly, almost imperceptibly. "Don't thank me. You deserve this, little brother." _

---End Flashback---

Now really, it wasn't smart to space out like the way he was doing in the middle of a crowded police station. He was bound to run into someone at some point.

"Hey! Watch out." a loud shout bounced from the walls.

It really shouldn't have surprised Sasuke when moments later he was in a heap on the floor, having landed gracefully on his ass as a very solid object bowled into him. His ribs squeaked in protest as he tried to sit up and untangle his thoughts, but a large weight kept him from rising more than an inch off the ground before his body gave out and he fell back.

He cracked an eye open and froze.

Silence.

Sasuke's breath hitched slightly. The man sitting on top of him had to be the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen. Bright, spiky blonde hair stood up messily from the top of a very _cute_ head. Not to say that the man didn't look- manly, oh god, you could see the muscles rippling under his shirt, but his cheeks were full and round and seemed to childishly frame his face.

Taking a quick look down the other's body, he noticed that he was rather well built with the right amount of muscles attached to lean body parts that would make anyone envious. And all of this was neatly wrapped in golden skin that, under the gloomy lighting of the police station, didn't seem to do it justice. Sasuke had to physically hold himself back from drooling as a pair of dazzling sapphire eyes opened to stare down into his own, pinning him with a slightly dazed look.

Naruto, on the other hand, couldn't believe what an idiot he was. One minute he'd been walking and thinking to himself, and seconds later he was tripping over himself and dragging down poor civilians with him.

Opening his eyes, Naruto was thoroughly prepared to make a long apology to the poor man or woman unfortunate enough to stumble in the way of his clumsiness, his mouth snapped back shut though when an ebony gaze pinned him and he was left gaping like a moron at the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. _Oh wow… What a babe. _

Without giving it much thought, Naruto let his eyes roam the other's body with something akin to appreciation settled in its depths. The woman was- stunning, the only word he could use to describe her. Feminine looking and lean with a lithe figure, she didn't appear to be very endowed in other places, but that suited him just fine. The rest of her was just breathtaking, though. She had pale, creamy skin that glowed and seemed almost otherworldly. Lifting his eyes back up to her face, he took particular notice of her ink black hair and noble features. But looking up some more, he couldn't keep his breath from gluing itself in his throat as he stared down into two pools of endless black, drops of blood rippling through them.

Naruto's mouth dropped, completely oblivious to how ridiculous he looked right then.

Despite himself, Sasuke couldn't keep the grin from forming across his lips as he watched the blonde check him out shamelessly. Had he been any less of a man, he was sure he'd be blushing to his roots by now and giggling like a school girl. He was pretty good about keeping his face impassive, but let out a small chuckle as he tried to sit up again, carefully avoiding the other's eyes. They were mesmerizing.

Having the weight shift underneath him, Naruto was jarred from his staring and with a dark blush jumped up, holding out a hand to the pretty girl.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry miss. It was totally my fault. Here, let me help you." Naruto smiled, leaning down farther to help.

Just as Sasuke was reaching up to grab the other's hand, he stopped short as he gazed up at the other man with a shell-shocked expression. _What did he just call me?!_

As the blonde continued to stand there with his hand outstretched and a kind smile lighting up his face, Sasuke shook himself out of his stunned silence and grabbed the other's hand, pulling to gain leverage while Naruto tugged him up into a standing position.

Before Sasuke could even think up a good thank you, he opened his mouth and let out the first thing that came to mind. "Well, I don't know if I should take that as an insult or a compliment."

Sasuke's deep voice floated softly towards Naruto and buried itself into his brain. God that sounded so lovely. _Dark and soothing with a hint of a growl-_

Naruto never got to finish his thought; realization hit him in the face with a brick. _Not a girl's voice. Not a girl. So that means- _His eyes widened to an unnatural size as he started to babble, an automatic reflex to dealing with his embarrassment.

"Oh god. I'm so sorry. Dammit, I'm such an idiot. You just looked so pretty. I mean… I uh- I think I'm going to shut up now… Sorry." Naruto looked down and placed his hands on his cheeks, rubbing them shamefully into his palms._ I'm the biggest moron ever._

"It's quite alright, don't worry about it." he comforted the blonde in his embarrassment as he himself fought down the need to blush at being called 'pretty'.

Naruto, on the other hand, couldn't just leave it at that. "No. It's just… I'm sorry. I've had a rough morning and my observation skills are lacking at this point…" Bending down, Naruto picked up Sasuke's forgotten briefcase and handed it back to the raven with a sheepish smile. "Here you go. Sorry I made you drop it."

_Oh wow… _Sasuke was having a hard time controlling himself in the face of innocence that seemed to wrap itself around the other man. _It should be illegal for him to be so… cute._

"It's fine, thank you." Sasuke replied, smiling back to ease the other's worry.

Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto licked his lips nervously. "Alright. Well I guess I should be going, then. Sorry again about running you over."

"Don't worry, it was my pleasure to be run over." The raven couldn't resist trying to make another blush appear on the blond's face and grinned smugly when his wish was granted.

"Eh heh. Okay. Well… bye!" Turning quickly, Naruto raced down the hall and made a sharp turn into the first corner, disappearing completely from the attorney's view before he was even able to make his own good-bye. Oh well. He'd still had the blonde sitting on his stomach for god knows how long. He'd be okay until he ran into the other man again. _And mark my words. We will meet again. _

With a determined look Sasuke started down the hall again, striding towards the captain's office, his thoughts centered around the sinfully, beautiful angel that had dropped from Heaven and landed in his lap.

* * *

**Plushie StickyNote:** I hope I've done a good job so far. Please review!

**Quote: **"If men could get pregnant abortion would be a sacrament."

©2006 Ruby Plushie


	3. Awaiting Conviction

**Plushie Stickynote:** I know ya'll waited a while for that. My bad. I've had a lot happening this last month and yeah. I've hardly had any time to do much writing, but here you are! New chapter and I've started the next one already. It's well underway so the next update should be fairly soon. Please be patient with me. ;-; Thank you

**Warning:** It's **YAOI **people! **Boy x Boy action! Sexual action!** So if it makes you uncomfortable, I'll have to please ask that you click the little red 'x' at the top right-hand corner of your window. I don't like homophobes! Thank you

**Please enjoy!**

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Awating Conviction

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The captain's office was atrocious.

Sasuke closed the door behind him once he had entered, training his eyes on the man seated behind the large desk, off towards the back of the room.

As he walked into the center, he absorbed the messiness of it. Pictures and posters hung hazardously all over the walls, held up by a mixture of duct tape and multi-colored tacks. The walls were colored a disgusting shade of blue and a few chairs were littered around. The room looked like a war zone with papers all over the place, stacked high, and about to fall over the edge of the decaying desk.

He could swear he saw a glimpse of something rotting as he leaned closer to grab the other mans attention. He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the musty smell that permeated through the room.

All was quiet.

He walked another step forward and coughed.

Nothing happened.

No greeting, not even a glance in his direction. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. The small orange book that rested comfortably in the other man's hand was holding all of his attention.

It would have been intimidating to have the man, who one could only guess was the captain, completely ignore him if he wasn't so intimidating himself. Sasuke glared holes into the book blocking his view of the silver-haired man's face, and stood in place, waiting for acknowledgement. He didn't have all day, but he wasn't going to take any crap from cops. Not on this case.

Kakashi sighed. _Great. A lawyer. _"May I help you?" Sparing more words to the man standing in the middle of his office then he would have liked to, Kakashi flipped a page in his book and continued to read.

Smirking, Sasuke walked up to the desk, happy to have won that little match, and placed his briefcase at his feet. He then laid his hands flat on top of the desk, papers shifting slightly under them.

"I'd like to request criminal records on a certain man. If you could be so kind as to get them for me?" Sasuke asked in a voice that faked respect with a hint of attitude.

Lowering his book, Kakashi sent the smug attorney a cheerful grin and leaned back in his seat, throwing the book carelessly onto the desk, narrowly missing a tower of important files. Sasuke braved a glance down and noticed the name of the book with slight disinterest.

_Icha_ _Icha Paradise? Typical. _Most cops were perverts.

Sasuke's eyes snapped back up, hearing the captain's voice, demanding attention. "I'd love to help you _sir_, but I'm an officer of the law and as such, I can't reveal files on anyone without a court order and such. I'm sure you know all the rules. So if you'll please excuse me, I'm rather busy." Kakashi let his grin widen as he dismissed the raven-haired attorney, knowing it was annoying him.

Oh that was it! Today was not the day to be playing dumb with Uchiha Sasuke!

"Cut the crap, Kakashi. You know that's bullshit so give me the damn files so I can leave this disgusting place." Sasuke snapped, fed up. The game was only cute for a little bit, but now, it was time for business. He didn't have time to waste.

"Aw. C'mon now, Sasuke. You know you love me." Kakashi rose from his desk and walked over to the door, opening it and motioning for the younger man to follow him.

Grunting, Sasuke sent the man a glare and followed him out of the room. "No, I really don't." he replied.

"Don't be like that. It's unbecoming of an inspiring litigator to be." Kakashi replied.

With Sasuke in tow, the captain lead them through a maze of hallways, humming to himself. Sasuke ignored him and looked around, wrinkling his nose for the second time that day. This place had to be the sole reason he was a lawyer and not a cop right now.

"So, how's Itachi doing?" Kakashi asked after a while, turning another corner, Sasuke close behind.

The raven narrowed his eyes. "Please stop forcing me to listen to your annoying voice any more than I have to, and walk faster, dammit. I might catch something if I'm here too long and don't think I won't sue you for it."

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, princess, we're here." Kakashi stopped in front of a door marked 'Storage' and let them in with a swipe of his ID card.

Sasuke grumbled to himself and glared, unhappy at having the other mock him about his first murder case and continuously taking jabs at him for his appearance. "Shut up, pervert, and just get me the files."

"Fine, fine. No need to act so grumpy. Now, who am I looking up again?" the masked man asked, scanning the crowded room.

"Uzumaki, Naruto." Sasuke replied, crossing his arms.

"Oh?" Kakashi inquired, opening an old-looking file cabinet. "So you were put on this one, huh? And here I thought Itachi was taking this one. It's going to be pretty big. I wonder what he's thinking." He rummaged around, gliding his finger over tabs of colorfully labeled folders.

Frowning, Sasuke sent the police captain a filthy look and growled. "Are you questioning my ability to handle murder cases, Kakashi?" He better not have been, because if he was, Sasuke was so sure in his ability to try a murder case he'd kill the pervert right here and now.

"Not at all, Sasuke, but as I said, this is going to be a hard case and I'm curious as to why your brother would have your first case be so difficult." Making a small noise of discovery, Kakashi pulled out a thick folder and handed it to the raven, smiling encouragingly. "But then again, you've got to start somewhere."

Sasuke chose to ignore him, grabbing the file as Kakashi continued, unperturbed.

"Still, I think this is a little too tough for you. Naruto's case is delicate. He's been in trouble before, but nothing like this. I suspect that this is going to gain a lot of heat considering that the victim was an informant for a rival gang that he's been having some trouble with." Kakashi sighed and with a flourish, patted the raven on the back heavily, grinning as he did so. "Good luck rookie. You'll need it."

"Ha. Ha. Thanks for your oh-so-helpful words." Sasuke scowled and opened the folder, skimming the pages with new interest.

"Oh Sasuke. You thought I was trying to be helpful? You poor boy you, you're becoming delusional." Letting out a throaty chuckle, Kakashi walked back out of the room, waiting for Sasuke to do the same before locking it behind him with an audible 'click'.

Letting the comment drop, he followed Kakashi back towards the office. "If you're so worried about this kid, why aren't you on the case?" Sasuke asked, eyeing the contents of the file with a curious look.

"I've got my best men working on it. I don't think they need my help." Kakashi grinned, allowing his pride to be heard clearly.

"You always were useless, Kakashi." Sasuke quipped.

"Ouch. That hurts right here, Sasuke." Kakashi placed a hand over his heart dramatically and Sasuke rolled his eyes at the captain's antics, not amused.

"If you could quit acting like a girl for a second, may I ask why there isn't a picture of the kid in here?" The raven haired attorney smacked the folder in Kakashi's face, feeling highly agitated at having to deal with such idiocy again and again.

Kakashi jumped and clutched at his face, crying out indignantly. "Itai! Why is everyone hitting me in the face today? I'm just doing my job like a good man and you're all abusing me!"

As he continued to ramble about ungrateful brats abusing him for a few minutes, Sasuke's eye developed a twitch. Looking down at his watch, he growled. No time to listen to this idiot babble.

"Kakashi!" The other man halted mid-sentence and looked down at his companion questioningly. Sasuke sighed. "As riveting as you've made this visit, could you answer my damn question so I can get out of here? I do have other places I'd rather be."

"Hmm..? Oh, I guess Naruto must have taken them out." Kakashi shrugged and started back towards his office, his "abused" rant forgotten.

"Sorry. I didn't set my brain to 'moron' this morning. Could you explain how the kid got in there to do that, and why would he even want to?" Sasuke asked, on his last nerve by now. Why did everything in this place have to be so stupid? It was irritating him and he couldn't claim to enjoy the feeling very much.

"Well my dear, wannabe lawyer, Naruto is like family here so he's pretty much allowed anywhere. He's Iruka's godson, don't you know?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow, about to comment when Kakashi interrupted. "Yes, I know it's against regulations, but then again, both of us have never been good with following the rules, have we?" It was a rhetorical question. He sent the Uchiha an uncharacteristic smirk and continued. "Second, Naruto has this thing about getting his picture taken. He doesn't think they do him any justice."

"Cute." Sasuke muttered sarcastically. Just adorable. He was representing a narcissistic criminal.

"Actually, he's very cute. Maybe once they find him not guilty you could take him out. Who knows, you might finally get laid. Better late then never, I always say."

"Fuck you, Hatake."

"Thanks for the offer, but I have a date with Iruka tonight. So, can't! Sorry."

"You're an idiot." Sasuke grumbled.

"An idiot who's getting laid."

Sasuke sent the man a look that could freeze lava and moved past him as soon as they got back into the office. Once the file was neatly tucked away, Sasuke snapped his briefcase closed and shouldered his way back out of the room, scowling. Kakashi was leaning against the door, watching him.

Holding the door knob and standing between the doorframes, Sasuke addressed Kakashi once more. "Be sure to let me know if anything new comes up, and please try not to misplace him, will you." It wasn't a request. It was an order.

"Will do, boss." Kakashi mock-saluted and seated himself back behind his desk, grabbing the discarded Icha Icha Paradise. "Oh, by the way, I wanted to let you know: you're an asshole, and say hi to Itachi for me."

"Hn." With that, Sasuke left, slamming the door behind him. Picture frames rattled against the walls and lose papers blew restlessly as the breath from the slam scattered them around.

Kakashi didn't even lift his gaze from the pages of his book as he grinned and flipped to the next chapter.

"He's going to be a fantastic lawyer."

* * *

Great! Just great. He was late for lunch with Itachi. That'd be a good impression for his brother to get on his first case.

Leaving the police station, Sasuke jaywalked across the street and up next to a sleek black car parked innocently on the curb. He climbed in and threw his briefcase into the passenger seat, stabbing his key in the ignition and revving it up.

Pulling away from the curb, he flicked his radio on and let the soothing pop music that floated through the car calm him a little.

He was already late, there was no point in racing to meet his brother now. He knew Itachi would wait for him. so instead, he leaned back in his seat and drove steadily towards downtown New York, absentmindedly listening to _Over my Head_ by "The Fray" as he drifted off into his own thoughts. His thoughts, consequently, centered around one, unforgettable blonde angel.

That man he'd bumped into earlier had left a huge impression on him. He just couldn't get that smile from his mind. The kindness that radiated from him had caught Sasuke off-guard and all the time he'd been in the police station, he desperately wished to see him again so he could bask in it just a little bit longer. These feelings were completely unfamiliar to him.

As he came to a stop behind another car at the red light, Sasuke muddled over these new feelings with a frown. He'd spent less then five minutes with the man, half of which was spent on the ground trying to breath, and already he was contemplating meeting him again and getting to know him better.

It was- alien to him. He didn't have many people that he cared about in his life. His parents has died in a mysterious fire when he was five, and now all he had left was his brother, who was fortunate enough to have escaped the fire without much injury. He'd stayed reserved after his parent's deaths, never making any friends and keeping to his work. Always busy. He never allowed himself to think about a social life.

Now, he suddenly wanted to get closer to another, whose smile and innocent blue eyes had captivated him.

There was no doubt in Sasuke's mind that he was attracted to the other, but that didn't explain his other feelings. A need to know the man behind the angelic mask. It was certainly very odd to be so taken with someone he'd never held a lengthy a conversation with. For all he knew, the blonde man could have been a murderer- or worse. An idiot.

Maybe he was looking too much into this? Sure the man was gorgeous but all these other desires were just plain unreasonable…Weren't they? Yes. Undoubtedly it was a silly impulse and Sasuke was hell-bent on ridding his mind of the thoughts.

He turned the dial of the radio all the way to high and rolled down his window, allowing the blaring music to drown out every thought he had and focused on driving.

The scenery was boring. Skyscrapers, condos and fast food restaurants lined the streets, reminding Sasuke of how utterly fucked the world really was. He looked up and winced when the sun blinded him, averting his eyes quickly to keep from having his retinas burned out. Once he'd blinked out the blurriness of the suns glare, he turned his attention back to the road, making a left turn at the next light.

After a while, the ear shattering volume of the music started to give him a headache and so, sulking, Sasuke turned the radio off, trying vainly to keep his unwanted thoughts at bay. For the next five minutes, Sasuke's mind wandered from how to fish, to trying to disprove Einstein's Theory of Relativity.

Still, the prospect of meeting the other man was again fresh in Sasuke's mind as he pulled into the public parking area of 73rd street.

Scowling for no other reason than for the sake of scowling, Sasuke found a parking spot between two mid sized vans and screeched to a halt, climbing out of his car, briefcase in hand, and slammed the door shut, pressing the 'lock' button on his key ring. A small _beep _from the vehicle told Sasuke that his car was safe and he calmly pocketed his keys, making his way from the parking area to the sidewalk. He merged flawlessly into the crowd and, with instant familiarity, followed the flow of traffic heading towards the other side of the block.

There was a quaint café just down the street, hidden creatively among the business offices of Uchiha & Uchiha.

Making his way inside, he paid little mind to the ringing above his head that alerted everyone around him of the new arrival and walked up to reception area. A young woman with a cheerfully fake smile greeted him and asked him for his preference in seating.

"Actually, I'm here to meet Uchiha Itachi. Could you please tell me where he's been seated?" Sasuke asked kindly.

The receptionist nodded and checked her list motioning for him to follow moments later. She led him to the exclusive seating area in the back, taking him to the table farthest away, where his brother sat, waiting patiently for his arrival.

"Aniki?" Dark eyes snapped in his direction and Sasuke held firmly against the urge to shiver. He slid into the booth across the other man and the receptionist excused herself, laying a menu down on the table with a promise to return in a bit for their order.

"Sorry about arriving late, brother, Kakashi was in a rather playful mood today." Sasuke started in with an apology, hoping that Itachi wasn't too angered at having been made to wait.

"It's quite alright, Sasuke, just be sure to not let it happen again." Dismissing his apology, Itachi picked up the menu and scanned it thoughtfully.

Figuring that his brother's silence was his cue to continue, Sasuke opened his briefcase and pulled out Naruto's rather bulky file and laid it out on the table. Sasuke couldn't help but be curious. "I have to ask, brother- why are we gathering all this information if the kid hasn't been charged with anything yet?" It was a valid question. There was hardly ever a time Sasuke could recall that someone lawyer'ed up without even being charged for anything.

Itachi didn't even look up when he replied. "Iruka's nervous. A witness places Naruto at the scene of the crime around midnight last night, and all evidence points to Naruto holding a grudge against the victim."

"How so?" inquired Sasuke.

"Apparently, they're from rival gangs and this was just the spark they needed to start a war. Without a doubt Sai is going to be down at the precinct in a few hours and charge the poor boy with something, they've been dying for a high-profile case like this one, and Iruka was getting us ready." Itachi sighed and put down his menu, knitting his hands in front of himself elegantly.

"If all the evidence points to him and it's obviously an issue of a street war, then why are we getting involved? You believe he's innocent?" Sasuke questioned his brother's motives with the highest level of curiosity.

Their firm was so wealthy Sasuke knew that they could pick from the cases they wanted without losing business, and his brother was sure to pick the cases for those he knew were innocent. Those who weren't didn't deserve the remarkable legal services of the Uchiha name and therefore would be sent to jail.

"Yes, Sasuke, I believe he's innocent and even if I didn't believe it, I still owe Kakashi a lot for all his help over the years. Plus he's a good kid. He'd never kill anyone. Which is why I'm putting you on the case, as well. I'm sure that with you on it, Naruto will be back home in no time. He deserves the best lawyer we have, and that is you."

Sasuke couldn't keep the smile from his face at the compliment bestowed upon him. His brother rarely gave them and he felt so proud that Itachi saw fit that he deserved one.

"Thank you, aniki." He nodded gratefully and turned his attention back to the file, sharp eyes tearing through the information like a whirlwind. Just old records of minor offenses, nothing out of the ordinary for a street punk. Petty shoplifting charges, a few fights in public areas, reckless endangerment, possession of illegal weapons. Damn, this kid had been busy during the years. What seemed odd was that he'd spent little or no time in jail. Said there that he'd been released on good behavior many times, and it looked like he got reduced sentences every time.

The receptionist, who apparently doubled as a waitress, came back and asked if they'd selected anything. Itachi ordered a slice of cheesecake and small coffee, and Sasuke just asked for some lemonade, claiming to not be too hungry. After she'd left with their orders, Sasuke turned back to Itachi, launching his next set of questions.

"You've represented him all this time, brother?"

Itachi nodded.

Remembering something, Sasuke's brows furrowed and sent his brother a frustrated look. "All this time and I haven't met him? His photo isn't even in the stupid file." Sasuke winced at how childish he sounded when he complained. He didn't really care about the stupid photo, but was more concerned with getting back to the precinct.

"What's the matter, Sasuke? Why so eager to meet someone who's going to be charged with murder?" Itachi inquired, uncharacteristically interested in his brother's affairs.

Sasuke held down a blush and cursed himself for being so careless. He couldn't let his brother know that he just wanted to get back to the station and find the 'angel'— as he had dubbed him—again.

Thinking quickly, Sasuke recovered and answered. "Well, if I'm going to represent him, I have to know what he looks like, don't I?"

"I suppose so, but you sound a little too enthusiastic to be just interested in the case. Is there something you want to share with your big brother? Hmmm?" Itachi smiled knowingly and watched, fascinated, as Sasuke turned an adorable shade of pink. His brother had always been the cuter of the two.

"It's nothing, aniki. Promise." Sasuke steadied his voice and looked his brother straight in the eyes, locking gazes.

_Fine. I'll get it out of you later, little brother_. Itachi let the conversation drop and thanked the waitress as she returned with their orders. Once she was gone again, he dug his fork into the cheesecake and savored the creamy taste with a delighted sound of appreciation.

Taking a sip of his lemonade, Sasuke watched his brother with amusement. Sweets, he'd found out years ago in a bizarre cooking escapade, were Itachi's biggest weakness. He was even known to get a tad violent when it came to his sugary treats. He's learned the hard way to never get in the way of his brother and anything with sugar in it.

Sometimes,it surprised Sasuke how calm and relaxed he could feel around his brother. Itachi seemed so human around him at the moment, a complete opposite to his attitude when in the courtroom. Itachi was a monster of litigation. Even the judges showed him the highest respect. And why shouldn't they? He was the best. A genius in his own right, his older brother had tried countless cases, all of which he'd won. Due part in fact to Itachi's ability to weed out the guilty files but mostly because he was a master defense lawyer.

There were days that Sasuke had to remind himself that his brother did not, in fact, write the law, which was hard to remember because Itachi always spoke so confidently that one couldn't help but come to the conclusion. He was a real sight to behold. Yes, Sasuke was proud of the legacy and he would prove his worth during this case. He'd make Itachi proud and…them. Sasuke hoped that wherever they were at the moment that they could see him now. He would make them proud of him, too!

He flinched. It was a touchy subject for Sasuke, so instead of dwelling on it, he leaned forward in his seat and began to review for his case.

Itachi, sensing something amiss, paused in his sugar-induced fantasy and looked up. His eyes softened at the sight of Sasuke buried nose deep in his file and he couldn't stop the smile that spread over his face as he spoke, "Sasuke, kaa-san and otuo-san would be so proud if they could see you right now."

His brother didn't look up, but Itachi could practically feel the happiness radiating from him as he feigned concentration. "Thank you, aniki. I really appreciate that." Sasuke whispered, but didn't lift his eyes.

"Don't thank me. It's the truth." Itachi returned, sipping his already cooling coffee.

And then they silenced, returning to their own thoughts that left them to finish their lunch in comfortable kinship.

* * *

Was it possible to be so obnoxious that even people who didn't know you disliked you? Kakashi wasn't sure how such a feat could be accomplished, but Sai Baikan pulled it off flawlessly.

As the young prosecutor strode smugly into his office, Kakashi had to bite back the urge to shoot the cocky little bastard. _I've got to say that old age really has taken a toll of Jiraya's decisions-making skills. _

"Mr. Baikan. To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the district attorneys office?" Kakashi asked as he watched the other man settle himself into one of his better seats and crossed his arms, looking for all the world like a prince who had finally arrived to his castle and demanded everything back under his power. Seemed like there was a lot of that going on today. It was his precinct! _Damn lawyers. _

"Oh. Jiraya-sama asked me to drop by here and see how everything is going with Uzumaki-kun. I hope he's well?" Sai asked pleasantly, annoying sugar-coated voice grating on the captain's nerves.

"I doubt anyone could be well with a murder charge hanging over their heads, Mr. Baikan." replied Kakashi.

"No, I expect not, but he hasn't exactly been charged yet now has he, Mr. Hatake? He's just a suspect until we get more evidence…" Sai tapped his chin thoughtfully, smirking back at the captain. "Unless, of course, you already have all the evidence I need to charge him now. Is that the case, _captain_?"

Kakashi grit his teeth, sharpening his glare. This kid was messing with him and he wasn't ever going to be in the mood to play word games with some cocky kid fresh out of law school. Kakashi stood from his chair, legs moving across the floor in an angry grind.

"I'm painfully sorry to cut this little chat short, but I have other business to attend to. So if you'll excuse me, all the evidence we've gathered so far is in this file here." Kakashi picked up a torn up folder from under a stack of papers on his desk and handed it to the other man. Wagging a finger playfully at Sai, he motioned to the door. "Now please- Get out of my office…or I'll have you arrested." Kakashi was sure to keep his tone humorous even going so far as to let out a small laugh, stepping over to the door and holding it open for the raven.

Sai tensed at the implied threat and lifted himself from his seat gracefully, tucking the file safely into his briefcase before walking up next to the captain his voice low and dangerous. "Watch what you say, Hatake, because I might just have _you_ arrested."

Sending the irate man a pleasant smile, Kakashi leaned against the doorframe. "Now, now _counselor, _it was just a innocent joke between friends. Surely you wouldn't want to start something you couldn't hope to finish- right?"

The silence lasted all but three seconds when Sai smirked and started to walk away, throwing a parting comment over his shoulder. "I'll be back later to see if we can't get cute, little Naruto-kun permanent housing at Rikers.(1)"

"You do that. Please, send my greetings to Jiraya-sama." Kakashi called back. There was no response. _God dammit…Why do they always send me the brats? _

The exit door was slammed and Kakashi could no longer hold back the frown that had threatened to take over his face since Sai's arrival. He stood there for a couple more minutes, contemplating the huge drama that was soon to unfold in his life. Actually, he was sure he could have stood there for hours trying to figure out a way to keep this mess from happening, but a pair of warm, comforting arms wound themselves around his waist, jarring him softly from his torturous thoughts.

Kakashi looked down and almost drowned in the emotions he saw in those beautiful brown eyes he loved so much. Putting an arm around his lover he drew him closer and reveled in the feeling of Iruka pressed against him like a support beam, reassuring and gentle at the same time.

When Iruka spoke for the first time, he could hear his heart shatter. "Kakashi…I'm scared." Oh god...It was so horrifying to hear such a broken voice escape is usually strong-willed lover. There was nothing Kakashi could say to console the brunette, so instead, he pulled him into a fierce hug and held on tight, comforting the man in the only way he knew how at the moment. _I know, baby…I know. I'm scared, too._

* * *

(1) Rikers is an actual prison in New York. Anyone who's seen _Law and Order_, the show will know what I'm talking about. It's the "man" jail. For murderers and criminals who have committed the heavier crimes.

**Plushie StickyNote:** Hope ya'll liked it and if you did, I'd really enjoy a comment letting me know that you did. They inspire me, so please review. And please give thanks to my lovely Uke, Sargie who was nice enough to do the beta'ing for this story.

**Quote:** "If you speak to God, you're religious. If God speaks to you, you're psychotic"

©2006 Ruby Plushie


	4. Time Table

**Disclaimer:** The truth is I don't really own the characters...Just messing with you! Haha. Them allll mine. Just check my bed. ;)

**Warning:** It says it in the summary and I'll tell you again here. Yaoiiiiiii. BoyXBoy. It's sexy no doubt, but if ya don't like it then please leave.

**Plushie StickyNote: **Alrighty my beautiful fans...However many or whoever you may be. I'd like you to pay close attention to what goes on here. It's important. You'll see when the trail starts. Any questions, please message me. Oh! By the way, before I forget. In this chapter you met Sarge. She's an OC character that I based off a friend so yeah...Just letting you know. Gah...Is there anything else I'm missing? Uhh...Oh! Sorry this took so long. x.x Lol. That's all!

**Happy Holiday's everyone. Enjoy!**

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Time Table

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_---FlashBack---_

_In an office all on its' own, separate from the rest of the departments, a shrill ringing could be heard. "New York Police Department. How may I help you?" the operator asked quickly as she answered the phone, her fingers posed above her keyboard, ready to take down all the information she needed. _

"_Yes! My son! He hasn't come home! Please help!" the woman on the other line sounded hysterical. _

"_Ma'am, I'll have to ask you to calm down. Now can you please tell me why you think your son might be missing?"_

_There was a deep intake of air, an extended exhale, and then, "I told him to call me earlier this evening and I never got the call. He's been gone way to long. Something happened to him, I know it!" Well. She was at least _trying _to calm down. _

_The operator's fingers slid rapidly across the keyboard, gathering and storing the data. Tap tap tap. A missing child report loaded up on a blank window and the information was put in. _

"_How long has your son been missing for?" _

"_Almost nine hours now! Please stop asking me these questions and find him!" Oh no. _

"_Ma'am, please. I need to ask you these things. Now do you remember where your son said he would be?"_

"_H-he said he was going downtown to do some shopping for a friend and then he never came home!" Tap tap tap. Downtown, okay. _

"_And how old is your son?"_

"_Twenty-three."_

_Hold on a second. "Ma'am- I'm sorry to ask, but are you sure your son isn't out with his friends somewhere? Maybe he just lost track of time and forgot to call and let you know." This was a totally different situation, now. Usually a missing person report could only be filed if someone was missing for more then twenty-four hours. Only a call about a _child_ missing would change that._

"_No! Listen here, girlie. I _know _my son, he's very close to me. We don't exactly live a safe life so I know he would _never _worry me like this! Now please help me or I'll go look for him myself!" She sounded so sure of herself, like she could already see the trouble her son was in. The desperation in her voice made the operator sigh, pressing the 'enter' key to send the file down to Investigations._

"_Alright ma'am. We'll be sending someone down to meet you, just stay where you are." _

"_Thank you." _

'_Click' and the line went dead. _

_At that same moment, another operating station rang with news of the untimely death of one Abumi Zaku._

xxxxxx_  
_

"_Kiba! Sarge! Please remove yourselves from each other right now, you've got places to be." The order flew across the room, thoroughly ignored by the couple it was directed at. _

_Shaking his head, Kakashi walked up to his favorite K-9 and bomb squad agents and poked them both in the cheeks, causing them to growl rather angrily in his direction. "Hellooooooo. Stop sucking face and get to work!" _

_Oh hell no! Not _another _case! _

_Slowly breaking away from their breathing contest, an irate Kiba turned sharp eyes to his captain and scowled. "Can't you see I'm busy here, chief?" He motioned to the flushed woman on his lap and held back the urge to strangle the smiling man. If he didn't get to finish what he was doing, he was going to one _very _angry puppy. "Why don't you wait twenty minutes for the shift change and give it to Iruka?" _

_Kakashi just smiled wider and shoved two files in the couple's face. "Because not only is Iruka coming in _two _hours from now, it's a lot more fun to annoy you both. Now hurry up."_

_Reluctantly, the pair untangled and straightened themselves before each snatching a file from their superior. _

Ugh! Noooooo! _They groaned mentally and looked forlornly at their respective cases._

"_A missing person's? C'mon chief. You know I'm not good with the grieving family thing. Give it to Kiba!" Sarge whined and tried unsuccessfully to switch files with her boyfriend. He just shook his head and scanned his own, frown deepening. _

_In response, her eyes watered and her lip quivered in a broken attempt to guilt the K-9 investigator into changing cases with her. "Please hun? I can't deal with all the tears and the insanity. 'My baby. Oh no, where are they? Help me!' If I go, then I'll start crying, too. You don't want that, do you babe?" _

"_No, I don't, but I'm less inclined to let you go see a dead body so just don't make a big deal about it. Okay, hun?" he sounded exhausted, undoubtedly disappointed in having to do even more over-time. Understanding that her boyfriend wasn't in the most pleasant of moods at the moment, Sarge gave him a quick peck on the cheek and headed off to get their coats. "I'll meet you at the car."_

"_Okay. Be there in a sec." he replied, and she was gone. _

_Kakashi, who had watched the whole the scene as a father would watch his children, came up behind the moody investigator and placed a hand on his shoulder in a kindly fashion. "Don't look so down, pooch. A little over time never killed anybody."_

_Luckily for the police chief he had quick reflexes and was able to flinch away before Kiba turned and bit his head off. "A little overtime?! God dammit, chief! I was a few minutes_ _away from going home and being able to spend some time with her for the first time in almost five months! Why are you doing this?" _

_Unfazed, Kakashi picked up the case file and waved it mockingly in Kiba's face. "Because, I know how much you care about her and being the generous person that I am, I'm giving you endless amounts of overtime so you can finally afford to get her that 'present' you've been complaining about."_

_Suddenly, Kiba's demeanor shifted and he grazed the older man with an apologetic look. "I understand. Thanks chief." But even though Kiba was grateful, he still couldn't keep the beaten aura from pulsing around him. He missed his regular hours and the time spent away from his girlfriend was torture. At least in the end it would be all worth it, though. _

"_Okay. I'm out of here, then. See you later." Kakashi started walking away after handing the folder back to his subordinate._

"_Right." Kiba sighed and headed out the door dejectedly, making his was to the parking lot where Sarge was waiting patiently with his coat in hand. Grabbing his coat, he shrugged it on and unlocked his car, motioning for her to get in. _

"_Let's go."_

xxxxxx_  
_

_Shutting the door behind her, Sarge walked down the old stone path leading away from the house and contemplated her new case. From experience, she knew that mom's where were the worst when dealing with a missing child. It was impossible to make them believe that their kid was all right. Horrible images of death were the only things that ran through their minds. There was really no way to console them, but what really hurt Sarge the most was not knowing if she could help or not. You could never really be sure if you would find a loved one, and after spending what seemed like an eternity in the Abumi household, she'd become convinced that the woman's son was indeed in a lot of trouble. _

_A small vibration from the inside of her right pocket gently shook the female investigator from her displeasing thoughts and, with an almost comical flourish, she pulled her cell phone out, flipping it open without even knowing who the caller was. _

"_Hey babe." Oh good, it was Kiba. _

"_Hi hun." She smiled, greeting him back_

"_How's it going?" Aw. Sometimes Kiba was just too sweet. Calling up randomly to see how she was doing had to be one of the most lovable things the dog-lover did. Some would call it clinging, but Sarge just soaked up the attention, falling even more deeply in love with him after each passing moment. _

"_Could be better. I have to go searching for some twenty-three year old who forgot to give his mommy a call. It's scary to see how worked up the mom is about it." she joked with a small laugh despite the uneasiness in her stomach. _

_"I'm sorry hun, but at least you're not sniffing around a dead body." _

_"That's true..." she agreed reluctantly._

But—_Unable to complete her thought, Sarge paused and searched her mind a little for her next words. She was deeply worried and confused, but decided that it was better to share her uneasiness then to keep it in. _

_"Hey, can I ask you something?" she spoke softly, in her mind, hoping that she was very wrong about her suspicions. _

_"Sure, what is it?" _

_"I heard somewhere that the FBI's doing an investigation on some kid named Abumi. Supposed to be an informant for Ataksuki's drug cartel, right?" _Please say no. I don't want to have to tell his mom that her kid's missing because he's part of a drug ring!

_"I heard something about that. Why do you ask?" Kiba was skeptical. What on earth could have brought up such a random question? _

_Sarge's heart fell. "Well, the missing person's is for a kid named Abumi Zaku. I'm just worried that it could be the same kid. I hate the thought of telling his mom any of the details." she clarified. _

Oh.

_Kiba gave a small sigh, biting the inside of his cheek in repressed frustration. He should have just let Sarge go home after her shift instead of roping her into doing some over-time for his shift. She didn't deserve to be working so late, especially on a case that would most likely make her cry. If it wasn't for Za-_

Wait. _Something in the back of Kiba's mind click and in an instant, he was kneeling next to the other officer who was doing the evidence bagging. "Hey, you. What's the stiff's name again?"_

_Hearing the question, Sarge's ears perked up, her heart pounding in her chest. Why had he asked **that**?! _Please-please don't be what I think it is!

_"Kiba? What's going on?" she yelled, caught in a hysterical mind set much like the woman inside the house. _

_"One sec, Sarge." he replied quickly, instantly doubling her worry. _No 'one sec! 'Tell me now! _She yelled mentally. _

_Unable to hear what the mumbled conversation on the other end of the phone was about, Sarge distracted herself by nibbling away at her bottom lip, almost drawing blood as she bit down hard in response to the curse her boyfriend had practically screamed in her ear._

_"Kiba! Are you okay?!" She became increasingly worried when Kiba stayed quiet for several moments. What the hell was going on?!_

_Finally, after what seemed like forever, Kiba spoke again, his tone one of uncomfortable reluctance. _

_"I found Abumi Zaku."_

_Wait...What!? No. He couldn't be serious. Right? _

_"You don't mean—? Baby, this isn't funny, I'm begging you to tell me that—" Her voice shook as she unconsciously brought her hand up to her mouth. She felt like she was going to throw up. _

_"I'm sorry, hun. He's dead." Waiting for the inevitable horror-filled gasp, Kiba muddled ruefully over the unexpected turn of events. Starting now, there was going to be a lot of problems. _

_With a heavy heart, Kiba turned back to the conversation at hand and muttered softly into the receiver "Sarge, I need you to tell his mom and get her down to the precinct to identify the body. I'm really sorry." And there was never a more heartbreaking apology ever heard in the world. _

_Sarge nodded and bit her lip, holding back tears. "Alright. C-could you tell them to send in a car to pick us up?" Her voice broke. This was the part of her job that she hated. Amazing that someone with her sensitivity to human life had chosen a life surrounded by nothing but death. _

_He assured her that he'd be down in ten minutes to pick her up, and after a pitying farewell, the line went dead. _

_Kiba could swear that he heard the sound of a heart shattering quietly in the distance. _

_---End FlashBack---_

* * *

"Okay, gang! Everyone settle down and let's get down to business." The yell commanded obedience, bringing the chattering around it to a steady halt. 

The collection of officers in the room seated themselves at the conference table, silent and with their full attention turned to Raidou Namiashi, chief of investigations for the Abumi murder, who stood at the front with an air of heavy urgency about him. All who where were there were the finest the NYPD could offer. Kiba Inuzuka, K-9 squad. Sarge Lomak, bomb squad. Genma Shiranui, Iruka Umino, Izumo Kamizuki, and Kotetsu Hagane; all part of the criminal investigations unit.

It was a chilling feeling that circulated the room. Everyone knew Naruto, and everyone knew the danger that he was in. What a grim day it was when innocents suffered so in the name of greed. At this point, not one person could find a reason to smile, all their fears for their friend weighing heavily on their hearts as they contemplated the twisted drama they'd been thrown into.

Raidou studied his colleagues solemnly before clearing his throat and looking down at the notepad in front of him. "Alright. As you all know, our victim was Zaku Abumi, age 23, unemployed and still in school at Daemen College. He was murdered last night roughly around eleven; a slice across the throat seems to be the cause of death." Raidou paused briefly, taking a sip of water before skimming his notes again and continuing where he left off. "He's got some relatives in Manhattan. Mother, brother and sister. Dad died a few years back. He's got no priors, but we do have sources that confirm that he was a part-time seller for Akatsuki. Any questions so far?"

Raidou paused again and was unsurprised when Kiba's arm shot up first, his loud voice calling out before he was even given permission to speak. "Yeah. Why are we sitting here going over information that everyone is familiar with?! Let(')s get out of here and find the people who did this!"

Everyone sighed. As expected, Kiba was being irrational. They could not move without a plan, but to ease his friend's worry, Raidou calmly replied, "Kiba, he's only a suspect for right now, witness statement or not. Until we have more evidence, we need to keep up with the investigation on Abumi only and let Iruka take care of Naruto. So please, calm down. You should be happy that we have nothing to do so far considering we're all hoping he doesn't get charged with anything."

Crest-fallen, Kiba shrank back against his chair and looked almost as if he was fighting to keep from pouting at the situation. "I know. I know, but this is all just so—unfair! I wish we could do more for him." He ran a nervous hand through his unruly brown hair and sighed, feeling a comforting hand settle on his shoulder moments later.

"Don't worry, babe. Everything is always okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end. We'll save Naruto and get the bad guys, too." Sarge sent her boyfriend a reassuring smile and leaned closer, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to provide him with extra comfort. He smiled and grasped her hands softly, drawing her nearer and closing his eyes contently.

Everyone else in the room nodded in agreement at the statement, gaining new hope from it and turning back to Raidou, allowing him to finish his report.

Taking his cue, Raidou started his report again. "Alright. Well, I'll split you all up and we're going to try and cover every angle today. By the end of the day I want a list compiled of possible suspects so we can start figuring out what the hell is going on here. Kiba, Sarge!"

Both detective jumped and called out a collective 'yes'. "I need you both to go back down to the crime scene and see if you can find anything new. I want the whole surrounding area covered…"

"And take Akamaru with you this time." he added as an after-thought.

Nodding in understanding, they both stood and saluted the chief, grabbing their respective coats and excusing themselves from the room to carry out their orders.

After they'd left the room, Raidou continued to another group, giving them their assignments. "Izumo and Kotetsu. I need you both to go down to the parent's house and question them until they can't think straight. Understand? I want to know everything they know about the kid and everything that was happening with him for the last six months. Get going."

He then turned and addressed his partner next, ignoring the others who were also leaving to do as instructed. "And Genma, you're with me. We're going down to get the kid's autopsy report and see if we can't dig up some information around town. C'mon." Nodding, Genma lifted himself up with a grunt and, chewing on one end of his toothpick, walked up to Raidou, slinging an arm around the other man's waist and tugging him towards the door. "Let's get going then, handsome. The faster we get work out of the way, the sooner I get you home."

Raidou growled at the comment, almost dropping his papers when Genma tugged him forward again. What that hell! They were at work…Why did Genma _always_ have to act like this at _work?_! A wink and another tug, and Raidou was knee-deep in his 'bad place'.

Two tugs later found Genma in a pile on the floor, clutching at his head as he whimpered like a wounded puppy.

"Gosh, Raidou! If you didn't want to have sex with me anymore, all you had to do was say so. You don't gotta hit me!" _Whine. Whine. Whine._ Raidou started to twitch again, fists shaking.

"Yes I _did_ have to hit you! Now is the _worst_ time to be acting like a pervert! So shape up or you can just go home and make up the couch for the next week. Now let's go!" he shouted, yanking the door open and stepping out in a huff.

"Fine, fine. Jeez. I give you a compliment and a wink, and suddenly, I'm some kind of sex fiend. I'm insulted to say the least, babe. You should treat your boyfriend much better." Genma pouted and stepped out next to his lover, an amused Iruka in tow.

"Genma, don't play the saint. If Raidou didn't put out at least three times a day, you'd be in jail for rape right now, buddy. If anything _you_ should treat _him_ better." The sudden comment sprang from around the corner, revealing a cheerful Kakashi. He winked at Raidou, receiving a smile back in greeting.

"Don't lie, Hatake. Someone with my good looks doesn't need to resort to rape to get any, but then—you wouldn't know what I was talking about, huh?" Genma grinned and chewed smugly on the toothpick, watching as Kakashi and Iruka shared a greeting peck on the lips before the police chief's eyes locked back onto his.

"No, I guess not." Kakashi tapped his chin. "Oh. I wanted to ask. How are the ladies on 7th doing?(1)" Chuckling, he slipped an arm around his own boyfriend and grinned wider as Genma's eyes narrowed at him.

"Go screw yourself, Kakashi." And with that, he started down the hall with a very irate Raidou following behind.

"Why would I? I have a _willing _boyfriend!" was the smug reply.

"I'm just trying to keep you out of jail, too, Kakashi." Iruka spoke up, loudly enough for the other couple to hear, sending Genma into a fit of laugher all the way down the hall and out of the station, causing a very put out Kakashi to let him go.

"For that, Iruka—you're making dinner tonight."

* * *

After being doted on constantly for almost a day and a half, Naruto was just about ready to run away for real and become a fugitive. Luckily for him, mostly everyone he knew was away working right now so at least he got a small amount of peace. Cradling a steaming cup of coffee, Naruto sat down in one of the empty chairs in the hallway and finally, for the first time that day… relaxed. He didn't want to think about the murder. He would go insane if he did. Instead, he let his mind wander. He thought about his job, which most likely he would be fired from after the charges were pressed. 

Closing his eyes and taking a sip of coffee, Naruto leaned back in his chair, slowly and steadily empting his mind of all the negative things that had plagued him from even when he was a child. It continued for several minutes, the hum of the air conditioner and the broken conversations around the hallway mute to Naruto as the inside of his mind began to turn a light hue of white. Unfortunately, there was one traitorous thought that would not leave. Naruto desperately wanted to calm down, but that face… That beautiful, pale face was burned at the very front of his mind.

Ever since that morning Naruto had been plagued by that unforgettable beauty he'd tripped over earlier. It was as if those endless ebony eyes had carved those flawlessly smooth features into his thoughts, left to peck away at him until he snapped from desperation. It burned inside of him. He needed to see that man again. He'd been stunning.

Now Naruto wasn't the kind of person to dwell on attraction very much. There was much more to people then just their looks, and since he didn't even know the man's name, why dwell? But there was something different in how he felt about the other man. It wasn't _just _attraction. It was an intense _want _to learn everything about him. Those eyes spoke of endless secrets and Naruto wanted to discover them all. He clenched his eyes shut tightly for a brief moment.

_Ugh. What am I doing? I'll probably never even see him again._

This was getting him nowhere. Sighing, Naruto popped up from his seat and started down the hall again, throwing the rest of his cooled coffee into the nearest trash bin.

For Naruto, nothing was worse then being in a police station. It didn't matter that most of his friends worked here and even that his godfather did, too. If you were brought here, the next step was jail. And _that _was his biggest fear.

If you were brought here, you were a criminal. Scum, and you were going to prison. All your freedom was taken away. Naruto couldn't handle that. He knew what it was like, and it was the most horrible feeling in the world.

Now…

Now it was worse, though. He hadn't just stolen jewelry or gotten in a gang fight. No. He was looking at a murder rap. A killer. That's what they would call him.

His gut wrenched violently at the thought as he bit back the urge to vomit. What was happening to him? What was _going_ to… to happen to him? He wasn't a murderer. He wasn't! He could defend himself if he needed to, but he didn't have the… -the inhumanness to kill anyone.

_I guess—I guess that there isn't anything I can do. _

Engrossed in his own thoughts, Naruto absentmindedly threw an apology at the older gentleman he'd just bumped into and turned a corner, his face molded in the perfect shape of pure hopelessness. That was what he was. Hopeless. He'd never done anything with his life. Twenty-five, working as a mechanic for a privately owned car shop and the leader of the most feared gang in New York. He was a punk. He'd never even finished college. Pathetic.

How could he, though? After Iruka had adopted him it had taken a few years to undo the damage his parents' deaths had caused. He still hadn't really gotten over it. Coming home to the sight of both your parents murdered in their bedroom was not something easily forgotten. _No, no, no! Stop! _

His mind rattled from its stable base as the countless unsettling thoughts rushed back in a flurry of pain, sorrow, and miniscule fragments of happiness. Is this all he could do with his existence? He was trash! Utterly useless.

So caught up in wallowing in his own self-pity, Naruto didn't hear the distant calls of his godfather. It wasn't until the older man was right behind him that Naruto did turn to acknowledge him. It was a pitying welcome, to say the least.

"Hey, Iruka. What's up?"

His godfather's face twisted into a concerned look and Naruto winced. Even _he_ could hear the dead pitch his voice held.

"You've been gone for a while. I was just wondering where you were, is all." The older brunette wrapped a comforting arm around his godson's shoulders and they started down together towards his office.

Several minutes of tense silence passed, Iruka sending a distant Naruto fleeting glances as they walked through the precinct halls. He detested seeing his godson so disheartened. What was worse, Naruto was a few hours from a murder charge.(2) There was no way to console him now.

And there was no denying it, either. Without the proper evidence to clear Naruto, by the end of the day, they were _all_ going to be under a whole lot of drama. He sincerely hoped, though, that somebody found something—_anything_—to save Naruto.

Iruka himself didn't even know much about the crime. It was mostly due to the fact that Kiba and Sarge were the ones on duty when the call was made, but luckily for Iruka, the shift change was just in time to meet the witness. It was a disheartening experience, to say the least.

---FlashBack!---

_It really couldn't be helped. Waking up at the ungodly hour of one in the morning to get to work at two was no one's idea of a perfect working schedule, but as some people knew, it couldn't be helped. At least today he'd been given an extra hour. Sleepy and bleary-eyed, Iruka Umino stepped into his office at the 27th precinct and flicked on the light at his desk, illuminating the room to a healthy glow that was just right so it didn't blind the poor man. _

_Allowing himself a small yawn, Iruka leaned back in his chair, waiting patiently for his computer to start up, thinking to himself about the upcoming day. _I wonder what's going to happen today. Kakashi left pretty early for work today. Probably has something to do with that case the FBI have been looking into for the last few weeks. _It was so unnerving having all those FBI agents crawling around their office lately. _

There was urgent knocking at his door

_Iruka was jolted roughly from his thoughts, almost falling out of his chair by the flurry of knocking. _Sounds more like someone is trying to break down my door, _he thought bitterly as he stood and went to the door, opening it to reveal a very excited-looking Genma. Groaning mentally, Iruka didn't even spare the effort to ask the insanely unstable man why he was there bugging him. Instead, he went back and started closing the door, hoping the other man would take the hint and just leave. It was just way too early to be dealing with him. _

_An inch from freedom, Iruka was shoved roughly back against the wall as his door went reverse into him, leaving him completely at the other man's mercy. _

_"Dammit, Genma! Ever hear of self-restraint? You almost broke my back!" Iruka sent the toothpick-chewing detective an angry glare and stood up, brushing the dust from his pants. Genma, though, was unaffected, so giving Iruka one of his winning smiles, he encircled the irate man in a bone-crushing hug. _

_"Awwwww. Good morning to you too, 'Ruka! How are you?" he asked innocently._

"_I can't… breathe." Gasping for air, the dying detective struggled to free himself from the grasp of his insane colleague. "Please. Put me down, Genma." But the plea only prompted the overly-affectionate man to tighten his hold, cutting off all other demands for escape. _

_Anyone passing by would have found it odd to see the interesting shade of blue that Iruka was turning from the lack of oxygen. _

_Genma found it quite entertaining, and just for a few more giggles, he kept a firm hold on the squirming brunette, waiting until the last possible moment before dropping him back to his original position on the floor._

_"Owwww." Iruka groaned and rolled up against the wall, wounded. Sometimes, Genma just went too far. That had really hurt. _

_Noticing the subtle mood change, Genma reached out a hand to help Iruka, feeling slightly less guilty when he pulled him back onto his feet and receiving a smile of gratitude. He may have been a little impulsive, but he also knew when to grow up and repair the damage he'd done. _

_"So, is there something else you needed, Genma, or did you just come to get in your morning homicide?" Iruka teased good-naturally, forgetting his abused state in favor of taking advantage of the more docile side to Genma._

_"Actually, Kiba asked me to get you for an interrogation." Pulling out a neatly folded paper from his pocket, Genma held it out to his curious friend. "He wrote you down a list of questions he needed asked." _

_"Wait. This is Kiba's case. I can't possibly interrogate someone for him." It went against logic to have a stranger to a case interrogate for someone else. Unfamiliar with the details, and probably unable to gather what was needed to help, it wouldn't do any good to have Iruka questioning someone in Kiba's place. _

_"He's really just looking for you to get a quick statement for him. You know, basic shit. 'Where were you?' 'What did you see?' 'Can you tell us what they looked like?' Stuff like that. Kiba got overtime again tonight, so after dealing with the stiff and doing all the street work, he got out of here as fast as he could." Genma shrugged, flipping the tooth-pick in his mouth around with his tongue. _

_Iruka sighed. Well, there was no way he could refuse, anyway. He understood that Kiba was having a tough couple of months, trying valiantly to get in as much overtime as he could. Iruka had to smile at how determined Kiba was in getting Sarge that gift. _Ahhh. They are so cute together. _It really reminded him of how he was with his own boyfriend. He would do anything for Kakashi, too._

_Forgetting that he was in the middle of a rather important conversation, Iruka lost himself a little in the thoughts of Kakashi, only to be rudely shoved from them when he was given a swift kick to the shin. _

_"Ow! Genma, you're one bruise away from a restraining order. Jesus, you're so violent." Pouting, the abused brunette rubbed his throbbing leg, leaning against the desk corner for support. _

_"If you hadn't been spacing out, then I wouldn't have had to kick you now, would I? Who were you thinking about, anyway? You had this really dopey look on your face. I bet it was Kakashi. Wait till I tell him." With a gruff bark of laughter, Genma ruffled his friend's hair, messing up his neat ponytail and earning himself a very put out glare. _

_"You're beyond immature, did you know that?" Grumbled Iruka. _

_"It's what makes me so lovable!" _

_"No. It's the trait that has half of the precinct wanting to commit suicide. Or homicide." _

_"And you call me violent?" Genma laughed again, walking towards the door. "C'mon, pretty boy. Let's play some good cop, bad cop." _

_Shaking his head, Iruka walked past his friend and into the hallway, making his way steadily toward interrogation room six. As he passed Kiba's desk, he grabbed the file marked 'Abumi' without really checking the name and scanned it. Murder... Blah blah blah. _

_"Thanks, Genma, but I can handle this alone. I'll just see you later." He nodded towards the other man and reached out, grabbing the door handle to Room Six and started to walk into it, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder._

_"Wait." Leaning close, Genma whispered in Iruka's ear. "The FBI are watching on the other side." And with a meaningful look, he left, closing the door behind him, leaving a terror-stricken Iruka gaping at the door unattractively. _The FBI?! _What the hell were they looking over him for?! The only reason the FBI where were even there in the first place was—- No. It couldn't be! Checking the name of the victim, Iruka groaned. _Dammit, Kiba!

_Shaking himself from the shock, he turned slowly, eyes instantly landing on his supposed witness. Sitting at the metal table in front of him sat a young man who looked to be in his late twenties, hair dyed—or so he suspected—silver. At first glance, the man looked well-groomed and respectable, circular glasses framing his pleasantly handsome face and with his hair pulled back in a low ponytail. But first impressions aside, there was a hint, the barest whisper of malice that escaped the well-placed mask the man wore, putting Iruka on high alert. _

_Spine straightening from a barely suppressed shiver, Iruka calmly pulled out his own chair on the opposite side of the table, directly in front of the other man, and held out a hand in greeting, leaning over the table. _

_"Hello there. I'm Iruka Umino, pleased to meet you." He greeted in a falsely calm voice. He couldn't betray a single fear while in this man's presence. There was something just so—dangerous about him. _

_"A pleasure to meet you as well, officer. My name is Kabuto Yakushi." The introduction was given in a light voice, one that was deceiving to the true nature of the man as his pale hand rose up to grasp Iruka's in a firm greeting. _

_"Well, let's get started then, shall we?" _

_The other man nodded. "Of course."_

_Sitting down, Iruka scooted into his chair, flipping open the case folder and scanning it for the first time. There was doubt now, this was in fact the Abumi case and from the look of it the kid had gotten what he'd deserved. Oh hell. He was going to kill Kiba for sticking him in this situation. _

_He looked up, locking gazes with the mysterious witness. "So, Mr. Yakushi, could you explain to me in detail exactly what you saw from ten pm to around midnight tonight?" he asked._

_With an index finger, Kabuto slid his glasses higher up his nose in a more comfortable position before answering. "I was walking home around eleven, maybe a few minutes before, when I saw this shady-looking man leaving the warehouse across from my building. I thought nothing of it considering the type of neighborhood I live in, but thirty minutes later, there's a swarm of policemen in the area, so I thought that what I knew might be important. I don't know if any of the information I'm giving is helpful, but I thought I'd share, just in case." With a smile that would chip the paint right off the walls, Kabuto ended his story looking for all the world like a saint. _

_Iruka, on the other hand, was not fooled. Keeping his guard in check, he continued. "I see. Considering the facts, you could have very well encountered our perp, but if you don't mind, could you describe him to me? This way, I could can get a list of suspects and have you choose from a set of pictures. In this type of case, whoever you saw might be a repeated offender._(3)_" Iruka clarified, taking out a pen from his pocket and readying himself for some note-taking. _

_Rubbing his cheek thoughtfully, the sliver-haired man closed his eyes and pretended to think, making a mental picture of the suspected murderer. _

_"He seemed to be in his early twenties; about six feet tall, and he had a pair of the most stunning eyes I have ever seen. He was quite the looker." Kabuto answered moments later, and grinned._

_Ignoring the man's implied sexual preference Iruka trudged forward. "Could you please elaborate? What color were his eyes? If you could remember any identifying features, that would be a big help, too." In asking these questions, Iruka's stomach gave a powerful lurch. For some reason, he really didn't want to know what the rest of this man looked like.  
_

_"Oh, well, he had blonde hair, spiked up in that regular bad boy look, you know. He had an impressive build, as well. Struck me as a man who liked the gym a lot. He was really tanned, too, though I doubt it was natural." he informed, watching Iruka with a gaze that said 'I'm about to ruin your entire life'._

_Again, Iruka's stomach did a flip, unsettling the butterflies there and leaving them to fly around restlessly almost to the point where it was painful. This sounded way too much like someone he knew. Someone he loved. With a heavy heart, he posed his next question, clinging to the hope that this witness was merciful. "W-what color were his eyes? Was there anything else identifiable that you can remember?" _

_"Ah, yes, his eyes. He had the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen. It was literally like looking into the sky on a cloudless day. I've never witnessed such a captivating shade of blue in my life. But even for someone who had a body like his, he had the face of a child. These really adorable puffy cheeks, you know." _

_Letting out a breath that he hadn't even realized he was holding, Iruka leaned back in his chair, taking a second to calm himself. There where plenty of guys out there with blonde hair and blue eyes. If Kabuto had really seen who Iruka was thinking about, he wouldn't have forgotten seeing the—_

_"It's a pity, though." Kabuto spoke up, gaining Iruka's attention as he stared up at the ceiling with a contemplative look. "I wonder where he got those scars. They really don't suit him. Though they do add to the punk look he was trying to pull off." _

_Rushing to stand, Iruka slammed his hands on the table, his breathing labored as it struggled to escape his lungs, causing Kabuto to jump and to give the detective a curious look. Iruka paid no mind to it, though. He was too busy dealing with the pool of dread that was bubbling in his stomach. _

_"A-are you sure you s-saw scars?" Iruka stammered, his fury almost at its breaking point. Civil rights could kiss his ass. If this man didn't jump up and tell him right now that it was all a big joke for some TV show, Iruka was going to take out all his anxiety on him. In the most violent way possible. _

_Kabuto could either not perceive the danger, or he was just unafraid. In any case, his answer was the one Iruka had not been looking for. "I'm sorry officer, but they were unforgettable. Three on each cheek." He demonstrated, making three invisible lines across each cheek. _

_Jumping again, Kabuto was startled from his seat as the detective hauled him up by the front of the shirt and with a vicious tug, had him pinned up against the wall. Iruka's face had the most dishearten look of being trapped that at this point, Kabuto feared for his life. Survival was one's most basic instinct, and this investigator was determined to preserve the survival of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed man he'd just described. _

_"Sir, I need you too to think very, _very_ hard about how you answer this next question. Are you sure that everything you're telling me is true?" The question was snarled so viciously that Kabuto was caught in his own crushing bind of self-preservation. In the end, though, he was less afraid of what Iruka could do to him so, tensing up in an attempt to lessen the pain, Kabuto uttered the most damning word he could have in his whole time among the living. _

_"Yes—" _

_Before he could complete the three letter syllable, a fist had connected hard with his face, cracking the bones in his cheek with a sickening crunch. Falling free from the enraged man's grasp, Kabuto landed gratefully on the floor, rolling to the side with a pained groaned. Ow. That had hurt.  
_

_Watching from the other side of the glass, Kakashi and Genma—along with two FBI agents—had rushed into the room, pulling a hysterical Iruka away from the now-bleeding man on the floor. _

_This was not good. This was _not _good! Embracing the crazed brunette, Kakashi let out an exasperated sigh, pulling him hard against him in an effort to relax him some. He led Iruka back towards the door, letting Genma and the other two deal with the cause of his new headache. _

_Shaking violently, Iruka snuggled deeper into Kakashi's arms, surprised and relived that he was there. Kakashi would fix it. Kakashi always could. A gentle hand soothed back his hair and Iruka looked up, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "Kakashi. Naruto didn't do it. You know he didn't do it." He couldn't even pretend to imagine his god-son being capable of killing someone. _

_"Shhh. I know. Calm down, Iruka. I know." Kakashi rubbed his hands up and down his lover's back, easing the tension as much as he could. Unfortunately, they didn't have long as both FBI agent came over, Genma hauling the semi-conscious Kabuto out of the room and down towards the infirmary. _

_"Hatake-sama? You know who it was that that man was describing? If you do, please tell us now, because we need to bring him in." The first man's voice was sympathetic, contrasting greatly with his outwardly gruff appearance._

_Biting back on his urge to sigh, Kakashi held on tighter to Iruka, who had become rather still from the beginning of the conversation. "I'm sorry to say that we do, Yagami-kun. Our god-son Naruto is quite possibly the only man on earth with scars like the one's Kabuto described." He was reluctant to reveal the information, but it couldn't be helped. To spare Naruto and everyone else even more trouble, they were going to do this legally, and that meant that they would have to cooperate to the fullest extent. _

_Nodding, both agents, Yagami and Ryuuzaki(4), headed for the door. "We need to gather a team to go get him. If you could please get us there, we'd really appreciate it." Ryuuzaki said kindly. _

_Kakashi agreed quickly, knowing that they didn't have to let him tag along but were being understanding of the emotional attachment they he had to the situation. "Of course. Just give me a minute. I'll meet you and your men outside." _

_Grasping the unspoken request, they excused themselves, leaving to gather the men needed and allowing the captain and his boyfriend some privacy._

_Once they were alone, Iruka broke down, slumping against Kakashi for support. "Please tell me this isn't happening! Please Kakashi." he begged desperately, knowing the answer he'd get and hating it even more when Kakashi stayed silent, opting instead to try and relax him. There was no way he was ever going to relax, now. Tears streamed down his sullen face as he clutched tightly onto the other man. This just couldn't be real. It had to be a dream. A nightmare!_

_"Ruka, I know this is hard, but please try to keep a level head. It won't help Naruto to see you like this." Kakashi's voice was firm, and in a valiant effort to follow orders, Iruka drew strength from it, sniffling a little while straightening up and letting the other man go. He rubbed under his nose sadly and locked his gaze with a mismatched pair to tell Kakashi that, yes—he could handle this. He could act in a clear-headed fashion, just like he needed to do. _

_Smiling in approval, Kakashi graced his lover with a small peck on the cheek. "Alright. I'ma go and get Naruto. Hold down the fort, okay?" _

_Answering with a small 'hai,' Iruka walked Kakashi back to his office and watched dejectedly as his sliver-haired lover shrugged on his coat and pocketed the keys to his car. Locking the door behind them moments later, Kakashi pulled Iruka towards him and into a loving kiss. Grateful, Iruka poured out all his emotions into the kiss, sharing with his soul mate just exactly how he felt and taking comfort in the reassurance that poured back into him from the other. _

_Kiss ending seconds later, Kakashi pulled away, placing one last fleeting kiss against his baby's forehead. "I need you to call Itachi while I'm gone. Fill him in and just have him ready in case this gets ugly, okay babe?"_

_"Alright." responded Iruka, biting his lip. "Just get him here quickly, and please don't let them cuff him. You know how he hates it." _

_Promising to take care of everything, Kakashi started down the hall, frustrated and helpless. knowing that Iruka was still watching him, even after he'd made it out where the other officers were. _

Naruto. What have you gotten yourself into now?

* * *

(1)- It's probably confusing, but 7th is just a street where a lot of hookers hang out, if you get what I mean. Hopefully you get the joke...If not I'll explain it. Just message me please. 

(2)-Reason I'm explaining this is because you guys need to know that in New York the police can only detain somone for 48 hours before either letting them go or charging them with a crime. Poor little Naruto-chan. He's only got a day left.

(3)- Okay. In a gang killing it's more than likely that whoever killed the dude was skilled or at least part of another gang which means that they've probably done it before. If you wanna kill someone you do it right. You do not send some inexperianced punk. XD So if you're wondering why Iruka said it..There's your answer.

(4)- If you've watched Death Note you'll probably get the pun. If not...Go watch Death Note!!!!!

**Plushie StickyNote:** If you have anymore questions please feel free to ask. XD I hope it's not confusing for people, but yeah. Better safe than sorry. Just to let ya'll know the next chapter will be very important as well. Info you'll need for the case and all. ). Anyway. I hope you enjoyed it. PLEASE REVIEW!...They make me smile. And if I smile then chapters get done faster. It's a vicious circle.

**Quote:** "No ones perfect. Well... there was this one guy.. But we killed him."

©2006 Ruby Plushie


	5. Second Meeting

**Disclaimer:** Sargie is mine! My character...And my uke! So you can't have her, but since I don't _really_ own any of the Naruto characters, you can just buy them for me and give them to me as a birthday present. I would love you forever... Trust me! Oh, oh... I want Sasuke first… And of course, he's gotta come attached to a Naruto :cough: Anyway!

**Warning:** It's yaoi-ful! Lots of sexy Naruto men who I have twisted into my very own gay army! So ladies and gentlemen, who are squeamish at the thought of hot man-sex, please leave. You have been warned.

**Plushie StickyNote: **To everyone else! Hello! I bet you we're expecting such a quick update, huh? I usually take a month. Jeez I'm slow, but hey. I finished this in less then a week! Yay me. Okie, kinda the breakdown. You guys wanted Sasu/Naru interaction, which I TOTALLY understand, but it cut into my original plan. Oh wells! It was good though. I really wanna thank everyone who took the time to let me know that 'cause it worked out very well for the meeting in this chapter.

**Note from FastForward:** This update would've been MUCH faster had it not been all my fault. Feel free to maim me, I am sorry T.T (Ruby Plushie: Don't listen to her guys. If it wasn't for her I'd still be proof reading to make sure I got everything...Or I would have left it...No. I'm not mean enough to let you all deal with me bad grammar. XD)

**!Please Enjoy!**

* * *

XXXXXX 

Second Meeting

XXXXXX

"Sai is enjoying this a little too much, if you ask me." Stepping into one of the precinct's many conference rooms, Kakashi pulled up a seat, the chair letting out a 'poof' of protest. Arms crossed, he bit his lip under his mask, refusing to look up and instead glaring holes into the table top in front of him. It was by some miracle of fate that they had been given the extra time to investigate. So far, Sai had all the evidence that he needed to convict Naruto. If Kakashi was honest with himself, he didn't think they'd find anything to clear the blonde; a fact that made his heart ache painfully.

"What's going on?" a voice asked, jarring Kakashi. Uncrossing his arms he rubbed his temples gently, finally acknowledging the two other men in the room with him. It hurt to look at them. They where his loved ones and at the moment, he could do nothing to stop the inevitable hurt that they would be facing.

"Well, Sai is looking to arrest Naruto right now, but with Jiraiya calling the final shot, he's making the brat wait until the last possible moment." Sighing, Kakashi brought his eyes to meet a chocolate-colored pair, willing himself to breathe around the constriction of such a heartbroken expression.

"I see." Iruka ducked his head, losing himself in some rather depressing thoughts. Only after a few seconds was he pulled back out by a loud yell from his god-son.

"Bah. That prick!" Naruto stood up and started to pace. He was in some deep trouble. Not only did they have his prints—God only knew how-- but what was worse was that he had a record history with Zaku. It was no secret that they had some trouble in the past. Naruto had caught the little punk, who had been following orders from Akatsuki, in a fight with one of his close friends. Not one to watch his friends get hurt, Naruto had jumped in without hesitating and beaten the crap out of the boy.

But even with the animosity between the two, Naruto would have never wished on him such a horrible death. It made his heart clench to know that under his name someone had been killed. When he found the bastards who did this-

"Oi. You think maybe Sai's being a bigger prick than usual because of that date you turned him down for?" Kakashi's friendly jab halted Naruto mid-thought, changing gears to those that revolved around the young prosecutor.

"Yeah, probably. Guys like that really need to get laid more often." Naruto joked, barking out an uneasy laugh.

Sai was a sensitive topic for him. At one time, Naruto thought maybe he would have been able to start a relationship with the raven, but after a couple weeks, Naruto had wisely concluded that it wouldn't work. Sai was too driven by his god-complex, his obsession with ridding the world of all 'evils' to see that Naruto needed affection and someone who devoted a lot of his time to him. Sai needed to realize that the world could never be perfect and that without the bad, there was no good.

_It was for the best. _Naruto thought. He and Sai didn't really connect that much socially--or emotionally-- anyway. Sure the attraction had been there, but their conversations had never lasted that long, only adding to the many list of reasons for why Naruto had turned Sai down. The blonde had suspected that Sai was mostly interested in him because of his looks, anyway.

Naruto wasn't vain by any means, but was only all too painfully aware that his bright blonde hair, blue eyes and tanned skin were highly attractive features. He supposed his hours at the gym had contributed to the amount of admirers he had, as well. _Oh well. Can't change the past._

Speaking of relationships, Naruto's thoughts seemed to steer themselves back towards his mysterious black-eyed victim. It was totally impossible to forget him. Whenever his mind was spared a moment of peace, it was the dark-haired man that it obsessed about. He was looking forward to meeting him again and maybe hanging-out with him sometime. That is, if he ever _did _meet him again.

With a sigh he sat back down, finished with his nervous, thought-induced pacing.

"Whatever the reason, we shouldn't be here joking about it." Iruka chastised them and turned to ask his boyfriend, "When did you say Itachi and Sasuke would get here, Kakashi?"

Checking his watch, Kakashi said, "They should be here in about the next ten minutes."

Iruka nodded and glanced over at his god-son, who was now laying on the table, head buried in his arms. The long suffering sigh didn't escape his radar, either. Something else was bothering Naruto. "What's wrong?" he asked.

The blonde lifted his head, one hand coming up to support his head with a closed fist. "I feel like shit. I'm always making you guys pick up after me. Now I've dragged Itachi into it, too." Naruto answered truthfully. There was hardly any verbal way for Naruto to describe the kind of dread mixed with fear that had gripped him from the moment he'd learned of Zaku's murder. What was worse was that he didn't even have an idea of why this was all happening to _him. _What had he done?!

Naruto shouldn't really have been surprised, though. He might not know the reasons, but he did know that he had a lot of enemies. He'd have to get down and talk to his buddies, soon. He knew that he should have a back-up plan just incase this got ugly.

_Too late, _his mind supplied traitorously.

Remembering something, Naruto inquired, "Hey, who's Itachi bringing with him? Is someone else going to be representing me?" The only reason he even cared was because for as long as he could remember, Itachi had always handled his cases, not trusting that anyone could defend Naruto's freedom as well as he could. It had touched Naruto how personally Itachi took the responsibly of being his lawyer. There was hardly anyone Naruto respected more.

"Yes. His younger brother, Sasuke, will be defending you this time." Iruka answered. "You have nothing to worry about, though. Sasuke is a very capable attorney."

"Oh, that's right! Itachi has a brother. Jeez, I totally forgot." Naruto rubbed the back of his head, smiling broadly. "He's become a lawyer too, huh? That's cool. Kinda weird that I haven't met him yet."

"Count your blessings, Naruto." Kakashi told the blonde. "Ever since he came back from college a few months ago, he's been nothing but a pain in my ass."

"Kakashi! That's no way to speak about Sasuke. He's a great lawyer, and you know that." Iruka scolded, sending the grinning man a disappointed look.

"Aw. C'mon, Ruka, you know Sasuke's just a moody little-"

"Finish that sentence, Hatake, and I'll make you wish your mother hadn't gotten pregnant." A dark voice interrupted from the door, making all three occupants in the room jump, turning to gaze at the owner of said voice.

"Well, well. Speak of the devil."

* * *

9:00 am 

Sasuke was tired. No, tired didn't even begin to cover it. It had been a long day the day before, an even longer night, and now, he had to go in and meet his new client with Itachi. Time was running out, and by the end of the day, the kid was going to be arrested. Kakashi had told them that there was no evidence to clear him, and by the sounds of it, they weren't going to find any in the next few hours. It seemed odd that the DA was waiting so long, but Sasuke wasn't going to complain about a cooperative district attorney's office.

It would be good to meet his client now, anyway, but that didn't mean he had to like being woken up. Being an insomniac wasn't pleasant, so when he finaly did manage to get to sleep, he was absolutely murderous when someone disturbed him.

Grumbling under his breath, Sasuke left the comfy sanctuary of his bed and got ready. Taking a quick shower, he was downstairs making himself a calming pot of tea in fourteen minutes, waiting for his brother to join him so they could leave.

He was anxious. Nervous, even, if of course his pride would let him call it that, but it wouldn't, so anxious would have to do. His _first _murder trial. This was what he's been studying _seven_ years for. Not the lame busy work his brother had dropped on him in the last few months. _This _was his chance!

Tea ready, he seated himself at the kitchen counter and started reading the paper. Not because he was interested in the world's problems, only merely looking for any word on the murder. Scanning it quickly and finding nothing, Sasuke threw it back on the table. He hated reading that thing. Made him feel old.

Luckily for him he didn't have to sit there long, his brother coming down the stairs with his briefcase in hand a few minutes later. Something just wasn't right this morning. Itachi seemed almost lost in his own thoughts. He hadn't even showered Sasuke with his usual morning greetings, coming down the stairs with an all too serious look etched across his features.

Watching his brother prepare himself a cup of tea, Sasuke noted with some amusement that Itachi was putting in almost double his regular dose of sugar. _He must be 'anxious' too. _Or so Sasuke thought. You could tell a lot about the older man just by how much sugar and what type of sugar product he was consuming. The strong, bitter taste of tea mixed with so much sugar alerted Sasuke to his brother's somber mood. He needed the energy, but the tea, which was a huge contrast to Itachi's usual morning breakfast, was for concentration.

Getting sick of the frown that had seemed to take over his brother's face, Sasuke stood up and snatched the tea cup from Itachi's hands, going about making some coffee instead. He completely missed the half smile his brother had given him for the kind gesture.

"Good morning, Sasuke. How was your sleep?" Itachi asked, his mood returning to its normal pleasantry as he sat down and waited for Sasuke to finish.

"Not long enough." Sasuke replied, earning himself a good-natured laugh. He smiled and leaned against the counter, coffee already boiling behind him.

"That's too bad, little brother. Last night was your last chance to get a good night's sleep. Trials of this size take up a lot of bedtime," replied the taller of the two, aware that the news wouldn't bother his brother in the slightest.

"When do I ever get a 'good night's sleep', aniki?" A 'beep' from the coffee machine made Sasuke turn, pulling the pot free and taking out the milk from the refrigerator as he went about mixing the deadly sweet, overly caffeinated drink for the older Uchiha. After years of having to make Itachi's breakfast, Sasuke knew the perfect amount of sugar and milk he needed to add.

"Good point." Itachi shrugged, taking the offered coffee when it was finally presented to him in his favorite thermos.

"C'mon, aniki. The faster we get to the station, the faster we can leave." Sasuke said, grabbing his keys, briefcase, and making his way to the door, holding it open for his brother.

"That's odd, Sasuke. You seemed so eager to get there yesterday." The older man teased walking out of the house--more like mansion-- ignoring the pointed glare his brother was sending him.

"Shut up!" Holding down a blush and stomping towards his car, Sasuke practically ripped the door open and threw his things into the back seat. Trying to stay calm he almost forgot to wait until the elder raven was in the car before driving off. He didn't like feeling uncertain about anything, and Itachi was prodding at a very sensitive nerve.

"Relax, otoutou. I'm just curious as to what you're so excited about." Itachi voice helped to soothe some of Sasuke's earlier anxiousness, but didn't help to quell his embarrassment. He really, _really_ didn't want to talk to his brother about why he was enthusiastic about going back to the precinct.

"It's nothing, I swear. Just leave it alone. Please?" It wasn't that Sasuke didn't trust his brother with the knowledge--well he didn't, but he just felt so pathetic being so obsessed with someone he didn't even know. He didn't understand it himself, but he really wanted to meet the blonde man again.

_No. Just stop! _Sasuke shouted at himself. _I need to focus! _

"Okay, little brother, but just remember- I _will _find out who he is." Itachi smirked and Sasuke, too freaked out about how perceptive his brother was, almost severed them into the sidewalk.

Straightening the car quickly, Sasuke asked, "How the hell did you know-" and looking into his brother's eyes, Sasuke bit his tongue, suddenly realizing how beautifully he had fallen into his brother's well-laid trap. _God dammit. The manipulative-_

"Aha! I was right!" Shouted the triumphant Uchiha, grinning proudly. "C'mon, tell me about him. You know you can tell me!" Itachi started to poke the younger boy in the shoulder, looking for the juicy snippet of personal information he would later share with Kakashi.

Sasuke had to wonder if his brother was bipolar. One minute he was intimidating even the most powerful of men, and the next, he was a giggling pile of gossip. It worried the younger Uchiha, but not as mush as it annoyed him. He was _not _going to tell Itachi anything. Not when he _knew_ that Kakashi was going to learn about it, and then would gang up on teasing him, making his life even more unbearable. It was no wonder those two got along so well. They acted exactly the same!

"Stop!" Sasuke hissed after a while, irate with the incessant poking. Undaunted, Itachi just kept repeating "Tell me" and "I'm your brother, you can trust me." Sasuke simply gave up and ignored him, concentrating on getting to the station as fast as he could and getting this nightmare over with.

After a pain-stakingly long car ride, they came skidding to a stop across the street from the 27th precinct. Sasuke jumped out of the car and rushed away from his brother, who was hell bent on annoying him until he caved and poured him his personal life.

"Itachi, just leave it alone!" He walked hurriedly through the halls, coming up a few moments later to the conference room with a still persistent Itachi behind him. His life was so unfair.

Not bothering to knock, Sasuke opened the door and was suddenly on alert when he heard his name. "Aw. C'mon, Ruka, you know Sasuke's just a moody little-" It only took a moment to realize that the person who said his name wasn't talking to him, but _about _him.

And he knew exactly who it was just by that grating voice.

"Finish that sentence, Hatake, and I'll make you wish your mother hadn't gotten pregnant." he growled, walking into the room. Kakashi had some nerve.

"Well, well. Speak of the devil." replied the police captain, turning to acknowledge the disgruntled raven standing at the door.

Lack of sleep, Itachi's bipolar personality, the drive here, and then walking in on Kakashi bad-mouthing him had tripled Sasuke's already soaring anger. "Shove it, you jackass!" Nope. Sasuke was not in a good mood right now.

"Sasuke! That's no way to speak to Kakashi" Itachi scolded him, then turned to apologize to the grinning man." I'm sorry about that, Kakashi; Sasuke must have left his manners in the car."

"It's alright, Itachi, I know all the sexual frustration must really be getting to him." It was Kakashi's usual explanation to why Sasuke was so rude towards him, skillfully leaving out the part that he was a pompous jerk who had nothing better to do then make Sasuke's life miserable.

Grumbling, Sasuke blocked out the pointless rambling of his brother and the police captain, taking his first look around the room. Oh. Iruka was there, and someone else... _Wait..._

"It's you!" Almost dropping his briefcase, Sasuke's eyes became unnaturally wide, his mouth agape as he stared into a pair of equally wide _blue _ones. Sasuke was speechless. It was _him. _It was really him! He hadn't believed he'd see the other man again, but there he was. There was no doubt. The tanned skin, blonde hair, scarred, childishly full cheeks, and that incredible body. _Holy-_

Naruto was fairing no better. _It's him. Oh my god... _What was he going to do? Maybe he should apologize again for tripping over him? Naruto was hit with the impulse of thinking he was a girl. He was just so pretty. Especially with his eyes looking so wide and captivated like that. That face was so- angelic.

A million thoughts rushed in the minds of both young men.

Realizing how awkward the situation was becoming, both Sasuke and Naruto ducked their heads, blushing and gaining the attention of their respective guardians.

"Oh? You two have met before?" Itachi inquired, Kakashi raising an eyebrow curiously behind him. Iruka stayed silent, seeing no reason why he had to say anything.

Naruto spoke up first, beating Sasuke to it. "Y-yeah. I ran over her-" He paused, him and Sasuke blushing darker at his mistake. "I mean, I ran over _him_ yesterday by accident." And turning to said man, the blonde graced him with a nervous smile before adding. "Again, sorry about that. You didn't get hurt did you?"

Sasuke almost melted at the smile, feeling his heart flutter uncomfortably, but caught himself, nodding stiffly instead. "It's alright. I'm perfectly fine." he answered in an even voice, hoping Itachi didn't notice anything. He didn't think he could survive this if his brother was able to put two and two together.

Braving a glance at his brother, Sasuke instantly wished he hadn't, catching the knowing glint in his eye with a curse. _Dammit. _Itachi knew. And he was going to tell.

"Oh my. This certainly explains why you were so eager to get back here, ne Sasuke?" Itachi stated slowly, as if it was an undeniable fact. Which, in reality- it was.

"Itachi! S-shut up!" Sasuke could feel the crimson staining his cheeks and was instantly cursing his pale complexion.

Curiosity sparked to new heights, Kakashi stepped closer, looking to grab the older Uchiha's attention.

"Itachi." he called, grinning when the raven turned. "Care to explain what you mean by that?"

Oh no. Kakashi was playing along. Sasuke was so screwed.

"Well you see, Sasuke came to lunch with me yesterday, and while we were talking about the case, Sasuke seemed a little disappointed in the fact that the file didn't have a picture of Uzumaki-kun. He was so cute pouting like that. He really wanted that picture." Itachi supplied, but only half the story, holding out until Kakashi asked him to continue. Which he did. In his own clever way.

"That's odd. He usually wouldn't care about such a trivial thing as a clients' appearance." The silver-haired man replied helpfully

"Exactly what I thought! So naturally, I came to think that he was more interested in seeing someone _else_. I was right, of course. He told me in the car on the way out here." Grinning deviously, Itachi finished his story with a glance towards Naruto and his brother. Their faces were priceless. They could only stand there, mouths hanging open in shock. Naruto from the confession, and Sasuke from pure embarrassment!

What the hell were they doing?! Sasuke's stomach started bubbling with dread, unable to even give the other man an apologetic look. This was horrible. This was _not _the way he had planned on meeting the blonde again--if he had ever been able to, that is. He regretted it, now. The other man probably didn't want a single thing to do with him or his psychotic brother, now.

Sasuke glared at both of the giggling men, but unaffected, they continued their conversation as if no one else was in the room.

"I was wondering who it was that was able to catch Sasuke's eye. You know he hasn't gone out in-"

"That's it!" Sasuke shouted, his patience lost and his anger boiling beyond anything he'd ever felt in his life. "Tell me where my client is right now. I'm _not_ standing here one more second with you two idiots."

Itachi and Kakashi stopped in the middle of a particularly _detailed_ explanation of what Sasuke seemed to be in dire need of and graced him with a twin pair of knowing smirks that made Sasuke wish he had a rock to crawl under, no matter how undignified it was. Only his pride kept him from running as far away from the room as he could.

Itachi's voice was sugary sweet as he asked, "Otoutou-chan, could you please tell me what Uzumaki-kun's file said he looked like?"

Why the hell was that important right now?! Severely confused, but in too much of a hurry to get out of there, Sasuke recited from memory "It said he was five-eleven, one hundred eighty-two pounds, blonde hair and blue-" Halting mid-sentence, Sasuke turned horrified eyes to the blonde man seated next to Iruka, who was sporting an uneasy smile with a blush running across scarred cheeks. "Hi." was the nervous greeting. Kakashi and Itachi dissolved into a fit of endless laughter, Iruka glaring at them for being so immature, and Sasuke staring at Naruto with the most shocked expression ever seen.

It was all too surreal.

Which only served to prove that God did indeed have a very twisted sense of humor. (1)

* * *

Being back at the crime scene was more like a nightmare Kiba was looking to forget. The smells, the colors, the lighting. Everything was just one bad memory. Rolling the door aside, Kiba held it ajar, letting his partner in under his arm and pulling his huge German Sheppard, Akamaru, in with him. 

"It's so cold in here." Sarge wrapped her arms around herself in a mock effort to retain body heat as she walked in. It felt to her like stepping into a freezer. The cold nipped at her harshly with a fierceness that she didn't think she deserved. A lot like the room was possessed with a spirit whose soul had turned into a block of ice, too weighed down by problems left unsolved to move on. It made her shiver again, scooting closer to Kiba unconsciously.

Smiling for no other reason than being with his girlfriend, Kiba led her down to what was left of the forensics equipment. Two tables were arranged parallel to each other, a computer set up on the far left, and scattered materials littering the table tops.

"Jeez. I don't know what they expect us to find back here. I'm pretty sure forensics found everything worth finding." Kiba complained, drumming his fingers on the table as he watched Sarge walk around, acting as if she was searching for something important.

"I would agree with you babe, but let's just get it over with and hit the streets again. Hopefully this time, we'll find someone who isn't lying." Sarge answered, kneeling down and checking under a dangerous stack of unstable crates.

Shaking his head, Kiba walked over and pulled her back. "Hun, Akamaru can do that. Let's let the mutt do his job." Grinning, he nodded to his dog, who—being the extremely intelligent animal that he was—took a long sniff of the air and started off to follow orders. Soon, he was making his way across the room, nose pressed to the floor, smelling out anything that could be considered important.

Pouting, Sarge leaned back against a large box. "Well, while Aka is doing his thing, what are we supposed to do?" She couldn't begin to explain how useless she felt. The episode with the mom had completely drained her, plus the sudden news about Naruto was just another blow to her heart. And now... After all was said and done, she still couldn't do anything to help.

With a smirk that made the tattoos on his cheeks twitch slightly, Kiba replied. "Oh. I can think of a few things that we left unfinished." Coming to stand in front the discouraged female investigator, Kiba wound an arm around her waist and gently tugged her from her leaning position against the crates and up against his chest.

Her boyfriend towering over her and watching her with predatory eyes, Sarge could only mutter a barely audible 'Oh' before suddenly being pulled into one of the most intense kisses ever shared in the history of kisses. Sarge was surprised and slightly irritated that Kiba would start anything _here_, but too grateful at the comfort she was receiving to complain.

Kiba was a horn ball, yes, but this random moment of sexual involvement, at a crime sense no less, served another purpose, too. Sarge needed the distraction. This case, the things that were going to happen from here on in, were going to be the toughest set of challenges she'd ever faced, and she would need support. She was just too fragile to leave unattended. And Kiba, being the caring, understanding and overly protective boyfriend that he was, was going to sacrifice his heart, body and soul to make sure that she knew she wasn't alone in this...Especially his body.

Grinning, Sarge brought her arms up around Kiba's neck, forming a playful reprimand around the kiss. "Kiba, Aka is looking at us kinda funny." She giggled, peaking an eye at the German Sheppard over Kiba's shoulder, who was indeed sending them a very amused look.

Resisting the urge to growl, Kiba turned his head, glaring at his long time friend sitting a ways away, looking completely innocent with his head tilted cutely to the side. He glared at the dog, sending a clear message through his eyes. _Traitor!_

Only getting a bark in response, Kiba sighed. "What do you need, Akamaru? And it better be important."

Not being able to answer verbally, the oddly colored German Sheppard stood up and started walking towards the back of the warehouse, letting them know that they should be following.

Sharing a look, the couple untangled themselves, put on some gloves, and made their way towards Akamaru, watching with interest as he started to paw restlessly at a small box tucked neatly behind a pile of larger ones.

"What'cha find, boy?" Kiba asked, tip-toeing over to the box. Pulling it out from the pile, he opened the flaps and he stared down at a bunch of yarn, sending his dog a curious and slightly agitated look. "You interrupted us for _this_?"

Kiba was half tempted to give Akamaru a bop on the nose if it wasn't already buried in the box, nudging yarn out of the way and onto the floor. "What the hell? You wanted to play with yarn? Gah. You're getting old-" Pausing, Kiba watched suspiciously as the dog pushed something compact and metallic from the box with his nose.

"What do you have there, buddy?" Sarge asked over her boyfriend's shoulder as Kiba held out a hand.

It was an understatement to say that they were surprised when an embroidered switch blade fell out of the box and out onto the floor. It looked oddly familiar.

Picking the knife up and pulling the blade out, Kiba and Sarge noted with a slight wince that this must have been the murder weapon. It was coated in a thin layer of blood.

"Wait, Kiba! Flip it over!" Sarge's voice rose an octave, pointing at the knife.

Obeying, Kiba gazed down at the most horrifying thing he'd ever seen.

Painted artfully on the handle was a stunning fire-colored fox, eyes glinting red in the light and nine tails posed mid-sway behind it, but that wasn't the horrifying part. What had made the detectives' blood run cold was the golden letters that lined the side, spelling out 'Kyuubi'.

"It's- it's N-naruto's knife." Sarge closed her eyes against the sight while Kiba went back to the table and bagged it. This was the last thing they needed to find. Whoever had done this knew how to make it look like it really had been Naruto.

It was planned so well. Of course, forensics wasn't going to find it, because it would be tedious to look through every box for the murder weapon when it would most likely have been disposed of if the murderer had been smarter. The knife was left behind so that it would further incriminate Naruto, but hidden away like someone was leaving it there and was planning on returning to get it. The prosecution could easily say that the blonde was in a hurry to leave, and since he was still downtown, didn't want to be caught with the knife.

They had to go and tell Kakashi immediately.

"Sarge. We need to get back. We'll let someone else deal with the rest." This was turning out to be the worst few days of his life. Grabbing his things, Kiba ushered his girlfriend out, followed obediently by Akamaru. Once they were all in the car, Kiba sped out into the street towards the precinct.

"Kiba. I'm so scared." Sarge's voice wavered, her eyes shimmering with barely suppressed tears.

Snaking an arm around her shoulders, he held her close, soothing her with words that he himself couldn't believe. "Calm down. It'll all be okay. We know Naruto didn't do this, so it'll be a piece of cake to find the guys who did."

Everything he was saying sounded so fake... She just wouldn't let him get away with it. "Don't lie to me, Kiba."

"Sorry." he replied, tightening his hold.

"S'kay. Just don't do it again." she mumbled back, burying her face gently against the crook of his neck. She didn't want to think about anything. Not about Naruto, the murder, not anything about New York altogether. All she wanted was to be there with her boyfriend and forget she even had a name. Reality could go to hell!

Sarge stayed like that for several minutes, selfishly holding on to the dream of a world with only her and Kiba while snuggled deep against his side, listening to the gentle rumbling of the car and the 'swish' of the city passing by.

It was a heartbreaker when the car finally stopped, the parking lurch jarring Sarge alert. She stepped out of the car quickly and followed her already departing boyfriend with a sigh. Looking down at his moving hand, she watched Naruto's knife swing back and forth in the plastic evidence bag, instantly feeling sick again.

They walked together into the station, hanging their coats at the front door of their office, Kiba turning to ask a colleague. "Hey man. You know where the chief is?"

"He's over in conference room eight with Iruka and Naruto," the young officer replied with a smile.

"Thanks."

Getting a 'No problem' in response, and Kiba started walking towards the conference room, leaving Sarge in the office to calm down. His limbs felt heavy. He wasn't looking forward to telling Kakashi, but having to tell Naruto and Iruka along with him was worse. _C'mon, Kiba. Suck it up. _

Taking a deep, but not too calming breath, Kiba walked into the room, very aware when he was suddenly trapped by one too many stares. He was surprised when he looked around, not expecting Itachi and Sasuke to be there, too. Naruto and Iruka were seated on one side of the large table in the middle of the room, and on the other sat the Uchiha brothers along with his boss. There were files, folders, and papers spread across the expanse of the table, giving off a very business-like mood.

"Oh. Hi Kiba." Iruka greeted, motioning for him to enter. "Come in. We were just looking over some of Naruto's old files."

"Hey..." His voice cracked, eyes lowered. Everyone was looking at him, sending their own short greetings.

Noticing the strange behavior, everyone shared an awkward glance, Iruka asking worriedly, "Kiba? Are you okay?"

"No. Not really." Kiba answered truthfully. He fidgeted nervously in front of the door, wishing that everyone would just look away. He could hardly make eye contact

"What's wrong?" Kakashi quipped, sitting up straight in his chair, now.

Pulling the bagged knife from his pocket, Kiba tossed it over Sasuke's head and into the middle of the table. "This."

Curiously, every man seated around the table leaned in, trying to get a good look at what was inside the bag. Kakashi was the first to reach out, picking up the offending object and throwing it back moments later as if his hand had been burned. "That can't be-!"

"What? What?!" Iruka snatched up the bag and looked it over, his reaction similar to Kakashi's, but in his horror, the knife fell instead onto the ground. "It can't be..." He looked so shocked.

Naruto jumped to the floor and picked the bag up next, holding it out at arms-length, as if it was diseased. "It can't be what?" he asked, looking hard at the knife through the plastic. "Is this murder weapon?" He looked at his dog-loving friend, waiting for his suspicions to be confirmed.

Kiba nodded, still not looking anyone in the eye. "Yeah. Most likely. The blade is covered in blood."

"Okay. So what's the big deal? If this is the thing that killed Zaku, it probably has the finger prints of the person who did it too, right?" the blonde asked innocently.

Nobody answered. Naruto hadn't bothered to turn the knife over yet, so he still hadn't seen the painting of the fox or the word 'Kyuubi' written across the side. Kakashi, Iruka and Itachi didn't respond, recognizing the 'murder weapon' while Sasuke wisely stayed quiet. He wasn't looking to get in the middle of whatever was going on, though he had a good idea what it was. He hoped he was wrong.

"What's going on, guys?" Naruto pouted cutely at the lack of answer, and had the circumstances been different, everyone would have laughed at how adorable he looked making that face.

Sadly though, since no one else could stomach of up the courage to tell the blonde to turn the bag over, Kakashi did it himself, taking it away from Naruto and holding it right in front of his face so that now, the design that made the knife so beautiful could be seen clearly by blue eyes.

The outraged yell from Naruto almost drowned out the sound of the Mission Impossible theme song coming from Kakashi's cell. Luckily for him, the phone was also set to vibrate, so placing the bag back onto the table, with a shaking hand, he pulled his cell phone out, answering it in a somber tone. "Hello?" He turned away from the scene at the table where Naruto had launched into a desperate rant, screaming questions at Kiba while being watched by sad eyes all around.

"Hey there, Kakashi. How's the kid?" a rough voice asked from the other end.

"Not so good, Jiraiya."

"Why? What happened?"

* * *

"No, Sai! We're going to wait, so I don't want to hear another word about it!" Jiraiya Sannin, chief district attorney, shouted at his most promising employee. 

For the last day and a half he'd been having the same argument with Sai about arresting Naruto, and Jiraiya was becoming frustrated. Not mad at Sai because he was wrong, but because- he was right. Naruto should have been arrested by now. God only knew how many they'd arrested, and for much less than fingerprints. It was just...

Everyone knew Naruto hadn't done it. It was a fact. Anyone who knew the blonde would say the same thing. But facts like that didn't hold up in a courtroom.

Jiraiya wracked his brains. How?! How could Naruto's prints be there if he hadn't done it? If he said he'd never stepped foot in that warehouse? It just didn't make sense.

"Jiraiya-sama, I know that you have some... personal ties with Uzumaki-kun, but it should not impair your ability to handle this case." Sai's words cut in to him like a rusty knife, making the aging attorney grow bitter.

"Don't lecture me about being 'emotionally involved' in a case, you brat. I know very well that you and Naruto had a falling-out, and this is just your twisted little way of getting back at him."Jiraiya snapped. Sai may have been a law genius, but that didn't mean Jiraiya had to like him. Sai was one of those men that knew exactly what buttons to press that would send you over the edge. He was a good lawyer, and had an unwavering sense of justice that Jiraiya admired, no doubt, but in all seriousness—the guy was a jerk. He was only sweet when he wanted something from someone, which was seldom. He was very self-sufficient. The man didn't even hire a secretary, claiming that he could do his own 'busy-work'.

Sai's eyes glared down at his boss, looking hurt that his intentions had been called into question. "That's unfair, Jiraiya-sama. Someone is dead, and the only person it points to is Uzumaki-kun. I hate it as much as you do, but the law is the law!"

Oh, but what a great actor Sai could be. Of course he just wanted to get back at the blonde. He'd put in weeks trying to gain the blonde's affection, being his friend and practically becoming the man's slave. And for what? Only to have Naruto refuse his invitation for a date? It had not made Sai happy.

The latest toys as a kid? The highest scores on tests? Acceptance into Harvard? Graduating first in his class? A job at the DA's office? A large salary? Sai always got what he wanted. There had never been anything denied to him before, and he had wanted Naruto. There was hardly a reason to ask why. Naruto was every woman and gay man's dream. Body well-built body, not too skinny, but with the right amount of muscles. Beautiful, sun-kissed skin, natural, bright blonde hair, and a pair of sapphire-cut eyes that you could lose yourself in. That by itself was worthy of worship, but that wasn't all the man had to offer. He was cute and innocent, so fun and energetic that you'd enjoy yourself with _any_ conversation that you might have had with him. Sai had known that, but saw no need in taking advantage of it. He wanted Naruto because he had a pretty face, and was probably the best lay he'd ever had. Nothing more.

It was too bad that Naruto had been able to see behind Sai's little act. Now, the blonde was going to pay... dearly. _I'll teach you to refuse me, Naruto Uzumaki. _

Jiraiya had stayed silent for several minutes, ashamed for being so unfair to the kid, but still too bitter to apologize.

Mental recap over with, Sai set himself back to acting mode and gazed down at his boss with an expression of remorse. It was so well carved on his face it was sickening. "I'm sorry, Jiraiya-sama, I know you're in turmoil over this, and I was being a little rash. Why don't you call Hatake-sama and see if anything new has come up?" he soothed in his 'sweet' voice, used for when he was looking to get something important accomplished.

There were only a few more hours left. If Jiraiya called right now, and Kakashi's team still hadn't found anything, Sai could most likely pick a little more at Jiraiya's moral fibers, reminding him that a young boy was dead. A young boy whose mother was looking for justice.

"Alright, alright." Sighing, the white-haired man reached for the phone that sat on the far side of his desk and dialed the number of his long-time friend. It took four rings until the answer finally came.

"Hello?" Kakashi's voice sounded- off. Jiraya didn't like it.

Cautiously, he asked, "Hey there, Kakashi. How's the kid?"

"Not so good, Jiraiya." That was not what he'd been hoping to hear! _Dammit, Kakashi. Don't you ever have any good news for me?_

"Why? What happened?" Jiraiya was reluctant to ask, scared of the answer. He watched Sai from the corner of his eye, not sure if he'd imagined that smile. He wasn't old enough to be hallucinating yet... Right?

Listening to Kakashi re-tell him about Naruto's knife, Jiraiya wasn't aware of the blood now running down his arm from how hard had been clenching his fist. If one was to pry the hand open, one would be able to see the indents from where his nails had bitten harshly into his skin. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. It wasn't right.

And what was worse- Sai had gotten exactly what he wanted.

* * *

(1)- Yes... Yes I do. :P 

**Plushie StickyNote:** I hope you guys liked it. I worked hard on making it funny in the beginning, and toning it down towards the end, because the next chapter is pretty much a whole lotta bad for poor Naru-chan. At least finally you'll get a taste of the whole lawyer business. And! Another important character comes into play. I'm thinking even the next chapter is going to be pretty funny, too, if things go as planned, but I would really enjoy some feedback. Ya know... Please review! Ja

**Quote:** "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." by Mark Twain. He's one of my favorite authors ever! He is a really wise man.

©2006 Ruby Plushie


	6. A Lunch Date?

**Disclaimer: **The only time I truly own Naruto and its characters is when I'm dreaming. ;-;

**Warning:** It's yaoi. Get over it.

**Plushie StickyNote:** Hey there everyone! Was that a quick update or what? Whew. You gotta thank Sargie for that. She beta'ed in just one day. Plus everyone wanted more SasuNaru and well- here ya go! Anways I hope you all enjoy! It was a lot of fun to write. 3

* * *

**Recap!**

"Hello?" Kakashi's voice sounded- off. Jiraya didn't like it.

Cautiously, he asked, "Hey there, Kakashi. How's the kid?"

"Not so good, Jiraiya." That was not what he'd been hoping to hear! Dammit, Kakashi. Don't you ever have any good news for me?

"Why? What happened?" Jiraiya was reluctant to ask, scared of the answer. He watched Sai from the corner of his eye, not sure if he'd imagined that smile. He wasn't old enough to be hallucinating yet... Right?

Listening to Kakashi re-tell him about Naruto's knife, Jiraiya wasn't aware of the blood now running down his arm from how hard had been clenching his fist. If one was to pry the hand open, one would be able to see the indents from where his nails had bitten harshly into his skin. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. It wasn't right.

And what was worse- Sai had gotten exactly what he wanted.

* * *

XXXXXX

A Lunch Date?

XXXXXX

The conversation with Jiraiya had only lasted a few more minutes, ending with the plan to continue it down at the DA's office. They needed to consider all possible ways of settling this without a trial, though, taking into account all the evidence and Sai's determination, it seemed unlikely.

The mood inside the conference room was no longer playful, all earlier fun forgotten. Kiba returned to his office, claiming to need a break, but you could tell he was feeling guilty. No one could blame him. He had found some of the most damning evidence so far.

Iruka, Itachi and Kakashi, on the other hand, agreed to go down to the District Attorney's Office together so that they could talk to Jiraiya and establish what kind of charges they were looking at. Murders weren't left unsolved just because the main suspect was as good a kid as Naruto.

This, of course, left one very confused Uchiha Sasuke to wonder what the hell he was supposed to do.

"Itachi. Shouldn't I be going as well?" Sasuke asked. If this was his case, shouldn't he be present for all the big decisions?

"No. Naruto hasn't been charged yet, so you have no work to do. Let me deal with Jiraiya for now."Sasuke smothered a pout by sheer will power alone and watched as his brother gathered his things. Sasuke could start to feel his annoyance rising again when Itachi turned and, with a wink, added, "Plus, this gives you a chance to really get to know you new boyfri- I mean client."

Sasuke stayed calm though, knowing something that would shut the elder Uchiha up once and for all. "Of course. By the way, aniki, I was wondering—how are things with Jason going?"(1)

As quick as it had been for Itachi to wink, his body went rigid and his eyes narrowed into a filthy glare. "I'll pretend you didn't just say that, taking into consideration that breathing is still a hobby you enjoy, Sasuke. Right?" Itachi asked threateningly, not waiting for an answer before going to stand by Kakashi.

Sasuke shrugged, letting his brother catch his smirk before his face became impassive once again. No one had bothered to ask what they were talking about, considering the seriousness of the situation still at hand. Kakashi and Itachi waited by the door as a concerned Iruka knelt down next to Naruto, bringing him into a tight hug. It had to have been one of the saddest things Sasuke had ever seen, and if felt as if someone had his heart in a vice-like grip. Naruto had his face hidden away against his Godfather's chest, and if one looked carefully, they would be able to see the tremors that wracked his body. No sob was heard, not even a sniffle. He wasn't crying, but the fear had sent the poor blonde into shock.

Iruka patted the man's head and whispered soothing comforts, promising that everything would be okay. It seemed to work because Naruto's body stopped shaking, and with an almost painful slowness, he lifted his head to nod at his Godfather in understanding. Smiling a sad smile, Iruka gave the Naruto a quick, fatherly kiss on the forehead and stood up straight, walking out of the room behind Kakashi and Itachi. He didn't even brave the final glance back, knowing that if he had, he would have collapsed and would not have been able to leave.

Once the door had been shut both men fell into a deafening silence. Naruto was too absorbed in his own thoughts and Sasuke just couldn't find something to say. What was he supposed to say? Are you okay? It would have been rhetorical even if it had been out of concern. Of course the blue-eyed man wasn't okay.

It would be less awkward if the blonde would stop fidgeting the way he was. His hands couldn't stay still, one propping his head up and the other drumming his fingers against the tabletop while his leg twitched sporadically under the table. The most awkward part, or so Sasuke thought, was how the blonde just kept nibbling on his lip like he was. It was distracting! Once or twice Sasuke had caught himself staring and looked away quickly, missing the fleeting glance he was getting in return.

The silence stretched and, at one point, got so thin that Sasuke was sure it was about to snap at any second. He wasn't going to be the one to snap it, though. He would wait until the blonde was ready to speak to him.

Naruto, who was lost in his "important" thoughts, was worried about the trial of course, but like Iruka had said, everything would be okay. He wasn't charged yet, and since there were logical explanations for everything going on so far, Naruto could expect that the words would be true. The only trick was finding out who had done this, but that would be less of a problem once Naruto was able to get in touch with his friends downtown. He wouldn't deny that he was scared, though. Anyone who knew Naruto knew that he had a phobia of prison. The trauma wasn't medical in any way, but the thought of prison just shook him to the core.

That wasn't the point, though. Even with all the shit going on around him, Naruto found the time to admire his new lawyer. Sneaking glances at the raven sitting a few chairs away, Naruto continued his nervous fidgeting. He wanted to talk to the other man, he just didn't know how to start. _Hi! I'm about to go to trail for a murder I was framed for. Wanna go hang out afterwards? _Somehow, Naruto doubted that would get him anywhere. The other man acted so- aloof. Excluding his earlier reactions to Kakashi and Itachi's teasing, the raven had been completely calm and in control of his every emotion. Naruto knew this because he had been watching him.

When they had decided to review his old files, Naruto had stayed quite, ashamed that the younger Uchiha was learning about his past mistakes. He had been in awe, in any case, watching how his new lawyer had handled everything. Not once had Itachi stopped his brother to correct him or even give his opinion. He, in turn, was the one following the younger man's leads. It had honestly impressed Naruto because he had never met a lawyer who worked for Itachi and received that type of respect. It was amazing just how much Sasuke seemed to know about the law.

Naruto really wanted to get to know Sasuke better. _He's even got a sexy name. I wonder if Itachi was serious about what he said before.(2) _Naruto couldn't stop himself from giggling mentally.

It was at least twenty minutes before either man said anything, too absorbed in thoughts of each other to notice the time flying by.

Unsurprisingly, it was Naruto who broke the silence first. Bless his soul. He couldn't stay quiet for any extended length of time if he could help it. "I'm sorry again about running you over." Naruto blurted out without really giving it any thought, wincing as he said it. _Smooth, Naruto- smoooooth._

Not expecting the talking to start until sometime next year, Sasuke restrained himself from jumping, turning to gaze at the blonde man with amused eyes. "You're still apologizing for that?" he teased, watching for the slightest hint of a blush. The blonde was so cute when he blushed.

Granting the raven's silent wish, Naruto did indeed blush, biting on his lip before answering. "Well, I feel kinda bad. I thought for sure I had hurt ya. I'm not exactly pleasant to have fall on you."

_Oh- I wouldn't say that. _Sasuke dismissed the concern with a shake of his head. "Don't worry. Nothing was broken."

Naruto smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Which makes me think that you weren't listening the first two times. " Sasuke joked, earning himself a laugh in response.(3) He couldn't help thinking about how adorable it sounded.

"No, no. I was totally listening, but it's bad luck not to apologize at least three times for tripping over someone."

"Aa. I'll remember that for the next time I'm fortunate enough to get in such an accident with you."

"You'll have to remind me then, because that was a totally made up superstition." Naruto admitted.

"That's slightly obvious at this point." Sasuke laughed along with the blonde, getting comfortable being in the other man's company.

Oddly, the conversation between both men wasn't awkward at all. They were both so into getting to know each other it was simple to push aside all other uneasy feelings and start forming a new thread of friendship that was colored a blooming shade of pink.

"Yeah. Everyone tells me I think like a little kid most of the time." Naruto rubbed the back of his head, looking up into dark eyes. He could swear he saw specks of shattered rubies with every flicker, but dismissed it almost immediately when they became pitch black again.

"You have really pretty eyes, did you know that?" It was said before he could close his mouth, so Naruto smacked himself mentally, just about ready to strangle himself, too, for speaking without thinking. _He's gonna think you're a total freak now._

Sasuke, on the other hand, was fighting down a vicious blush while staring at the blue-eyed man with a surprised look. It was hard to form words at the moment, but after some effort, he was able to grin a little, realizing that maybe the other man was trying to be friendly in his own- weird way. "Uzumaki-kun, I'm afraid to ask if you think I'm a woman or something to that affect."

Naruto's eyes widened unnaturally as he waved his hands frantically in front of himself. "No, no, no! Of course not. I know you're a dude." _A really good-looking dude. _His mind added. "It's just...Uh- You have pretty eyes?"

"I don't think my manhood will recover the damage done by that statement." Sasuke replied with a smirk.

"Sorry." Naruto smiled back at him, not looking that sorry at all. It was obvious that Sasuke wasn't too offended, anyway.

Uncrossing his arms, Sasuke stood up, neatly going about putting away the rest of his forgotten work from the table. Moments later, with a click of his briefcase, he was done, smiling towards the blonde who was watching him curiously. "C'mon. Let's get out of this place. I can't stand being here another second."

"Why?" Naruto asked, but stood up anyway, following the raven out of the conference room and out of the station.

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders slightly and lead them down to his car. "Let's just say this place has some bad memories... I did something I wasn't very proud of when I was younger." he clarified, though he later wondered why. It wasn't something he would openly share with _anyone_, but Sasuke felt somewhat close to the blonde so it had just- slipped.

Naruto almost tripped at the confession, but caught himself quickly, and got back into step with the other man. He had never expected to find out that Sasuke had a rap sheet. It was interesting, to say the least. The raven acted so- clean-cut it was hard to believe he'd ever done anything wrong. "I'm sorry. If it makes you feel better, I know exactly how you feel." Silently, Naruto felt his empathy for the other man grow, his heart easing at the fact that Sasuke was a lot like him.

Unlocking the car and motioning for Naruto to get in as well, Sasuke answered. "It makes me feel worse, actually. I'm really sorry you're being put through this."

"Nah. It's nothing I haven't dealt with before." Fastening his seatbelt, Naruto sank comfortably into his seat, watching as New York city became a blur outside his window. "Well, this is the first time murder has ever been involved, but I've been dealing with the legal system since I was five so- yeah." The blonde kept his eyes towards the sky, unable to face the other man right now. It hurt a lot to talk about his past, but he at least felt that he could trust Sasuke.

"I'm sorry." Turning left at the green light, Sasuke's gaze flickered over to his new client, catching the sad smile that was being flashed his way.

"It's okay. It's just how the world works."

Sasuke frowned a little at that. What did the blonde mean? Did he think he deserved to go to jail for something he didn't do? "But you're innocent." The way he said made it sound like an indisputable fact.

Naruto laughed and turned slightly in his seat, gracing the raven with bright smile. "What makes you so sure Uchiha-_kun_?"

Without missing a beat, the raven replied. "Sasuke." He really hated being called anything but his first name unless it was by someone he didn't like. Then they had better be addressing him by the proper title of 'Uchiha-sama'.

A confused Naruto tilted his head and asked eloquently, "Huh?"

"My name is Sasuke. It makes me feel old when someone calls me by my last name."

"Well, how old are you?"

"I'll be twenty-five this year." Sasuke replied.

Laughing, Naruto said, "And here you had me thinking your were some forty year old who looked twenty. That's not old at all, dude. You're just a year older than me."

"Which is exactly why you should call me by my first name." Another battle won, Sasuke sent his new friend a smug smirk.

"Alright then _Sasuke._ That still doesn't answer my question. What makes you so sure that I'm innocent?" Naruto couldn't contain the giddiness bubbling up inside of him at being able to call the young lawyer by his first name. He'd learned from Iruka a lot of rules and polite gestures that accompanied the Japanese culture. And seeing as Sasuke was Japanese, Naruto saw if fit to follow the customs so he did not offend the raven. In Japan, when meeting a new person, you always addressed them with their last name and a suffix that defined their status. In an event, you were only allowed to use someone's first name if you were family or a very close friend. Such knowledge made Naruto's mood brighten even more.

"Instinct." Sasuke replied

"Ha. Let me guess. Yours are never wrong?" Naruto jabbed jokingly at the man.

Smirking, the younger Uchiha came to a stop at a red light. "I'm not talking about my instincts, I'm talking about Itachi's, but after meeting you, I'd more than happily agree with him. You don't look or act like a murderer."

Eyes narrowing in a playful glare, Naruto's cheeks puffed in mock indignation "I hope you're not saying that I look like a push-over."

"What I'm saying is that those muscles aren't all that impressive." the raven teased good-naturedly.

"Gasp! Lies on top of lies on top of lies on top of the truth!" Naruto accused in an offended breath as he rubbed his arm muscles. "Shhh. Don't listen to him, my babies. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

Had Sasuke not been the great driver that he was, he was sure that he would have run into the nearest sidewalk, doubled over and laughing. The blonde was something else entirely. He was soothing his muscle's hurt feelings? That was new.

"Don't laugh! I've worked really hard to boost my babies' confidence and you go and tell them they don't look tough? You bad, bad man." Naruto hid his laughing smile behind a well-placed pout. "You say you're sorry." he demanded.

Playing along, Sasuke leaned close to one of Naruto's arms, and with a fake apologetic smile, said, "I'm sorry for hurting your feelings. I hope you can forgive me for my callousness." He leaned back quickly, watching the road so as not to crash.

Sniffling a little for effect and nodding his consent, Naruto rubbed his arms one more time before telling the raven, "They forgive you, but they want to let you know that next time they'll be ready to show you how strong they are."

"I'll remember that." the raven said with a grin, and changing the subject, asked, "Now, would you like to grab some lunch?" It had been a few hours since either of them had eaten anything, and about now, Sasuke was all too painfully aware of his needy stomach.

Naruto's eyes seemed to light up at the prospect of food and, with a happy nod of his head, declared to the raven that, quote, "Yes sir! I haven't had a single thing to eat since last night. I'm fucking starving!"

Chuckling, Sasuke let his hands relax around the steering wheel from where they had been clutching at it nervously. He wasn't sure that Naruto would take him up on his offer, but was pleased when he did. "Alright. Well, do you have any preferences?"

"Do you know any good ramen restaurants?" Naruto asked, looking hopeful.

"I know about one down on 16th street. Itachi took me there once. They have good sushi, too." Sasuke told the blonde, then asking. "Would you like to eat there?"

"Sure! That sounds perfect."

"Great." And Sasuke made a right on the next turn.

The rest of the car ride consisted of an energetic blonde taking his first good look around the interior of the car and instantly becoming enthralled with every button and its function. Sasuke was more than happy to appease the blond's childishness and, with a calm demeanor, explained what every one of them did until the blond had settled for just fiddling with the radio, changing the station to one that was having a tribute to NickelBack.

"Yes! I love this band." Naruto wiggled happily in his seat and started to sing along to the ending of _Savin' Me. _

Sasuke, who really didn't care for this band, thought he just might start to love it if the blond was willing to sing along every time he heard one of their songs.

A minute later it was over, and the radio host came back on, announcing that the next song would be _Animal. _Now Sasuke wouldn't have normally questioned the other man for turning off the radio at this point, they were close to the restaurant anyway, but seeing the blonde blush such an adorable shade of pink sparked Sasuke's otherwise non-existent interest.

Without asking his passenger for an explanation, Sasuke flicked the radio back on and listened carefully to the lyrics. He was sure that there was something about the song that Naruto didn't want him to hear. Why else would he stop listening to a marathon of songs that were by a band that he claimed to love?

_**So come on baby, get in**_

_**Get in, just get in**_

_**Check on the trouble we're in**_

_I wonder what part of the song it was that Naruto is all embarrassed about. _Right now, the blond was just humming along to the tune, just letting Sasuke figure it out for himself. It would be funnier that way.

_**You're beside me on the seat**_

_**Got your hand between my knees**_

_**And you control how fast we go by just how hard you wanna squeeze**_

_**It's hard to steer when you're breathing in my ear**_

_**But I've got both hands on the wheel while you got both hands on my gears**_

_**By now, no doubt that we are heading south**_

_**I guess nobody ever taught her not to speak with a full mouth**_

_**'Cause this was it, like flicking on a switch**_

_**It felt so good I almost drove into a ditch**_

_**I'm screaming**_

_**No-**_

And that was all Sasuke needed to hear before he switched the radio back off, Naruto doubled over laughing next to him to cover up how red he had become during that part of the song. He had to admit, though, it was one of his favorites.

"Those were some... interesting lyrics. Do most of their songs talk about having sex in a car?" Sasuke asked, genuinely curious. He didn't dare blush, no matter how many mental images he was being plagued with; he wouldn't be able to live it down if he did.

Shaking his head, Naruto sat back up straight in his seat. "No, only that one was about sex- in a _car_, at least"

"Aa. I see." Thanking God that they had finally reached their chosen lunch spot, Sasuke parked two cars away from the entrance and got out, waiting until Naruto had gotten out too before locking the car and following the blond into the restaurant. They were seated without having to wait long, the lunch crowd mostly gone by this point. It was a cozy little booth in the back, the atmosphere friendly and inviting with a small fake cherry blossom resting artfully in a vase at the center of the table.

Thanking their waiter—who had introduced himself as Jim and promptly left them to think about their orders—they each took a seat opposite to each other, opening their respective menus.

Seconds later, a brightly grinning blond-haired man of twenty-four could be heard yelling childishly throughout the restaurant. "Yes! They have miso ramen." Slapping his menu shut, Naruto took a sip of the water that had already been placed out for him. "What are you getting, Sasuke?" he asked once the water was past his throat.

"I'm not sure yet, Uzumaki-kun. I'm deciding between a toro and eel sashimi, or an albacore sashimi with a California roll." Sasuke replied, not looking up from the menu.

Nodding, Naruto remembered something and smiled. "Why are you calling me Uzumaki-kun? You can just call me Naruto, you know." He really hoped Sasuke would. He wanted to hear how his name would sound in that growling voice of the other man.

"Hai. Naruto it is, then." Sasuke lowered his menu, shutting it silently, and countering with a smile of his own.

"Good. So, what did you decide on?" Naruto asked, pleased that Sasuke had no objections to being so informal with him, even if he was only a client, and loving the way his name just rolled off so beautifully from the raven's tongue.

"The albacore and California roll." Sasuke answered. At the face Naruto was making, he was inclined to ask, "What? It there something wrong?"

"Raw fish is nasty." Naruto stated righteously, wrinkling his nose.

"I don't think you've ever had albacore before, then." Pushing back the bangs from his face, Sasuke leaned back in his seat. "You should try some. The sauce that comes with it is really good."

"Nope! I've never had raw fish and I never will. It looks and smells gross." Naruto said and took another sip of water.

"You'll just have to try it and see what you think afterwards." Sasuke replied, rather amused by the whole conversation.

"Hell no. You're not getting that stuff anywhere near my mouth."

The air around them was so playful that Sasuke couldn't help but be sucked into a more youthful and juvenile state of mind. "C'mon, you aren't scared of a few dead fishies, are you?"

"No! Of course not. I just don't like the taste of raw fish." Naruto crossed his arms, pouting indignantly.

"How can you know what it tastes like if you've never had any? Sounds like you're scared, to me." Sasuke continued, goading the blond. He knew that if Naruto at least tried some sushi he would like it; he was just being stubborn. _Looks like he doesn't like to be wrong- Then again... neither do I._

"Am not! And I'll prove it to you!" And almost as if it had been timed, planned, and staged, Jim reappeared and asked if they were ready to order. He had his pen and notepad out and everything.

Naruto spoke up first, something fierce flickering back and forth across his eyes. "Miso ramen and a small side of alba- albacore sashimi!" And added in quickly, so as not to sound rude, "Please?"

"Alright. And for you, sir?" Jim asked, scribbling down Naruto's lunch while turning and waiting for Sasuke to answer.

"I'll have the combo albacore sashimi with California rolls." Sasuke answered, smirking at the blonde across the table from him, who was sending him quite the challenging gaze.

"Mhm. And to drink?" More scribbling.

"Lemonade please. And for you, Naruto?" Sasuke asked pleasantly, saving their waiter the trouble.

"Do they have raspberry lemonade here?" Naruto's question was directed mostly at Sasuke while he also opened his menu up again, looking for his answer.

"Actually, we do sir." Jim cut in.

"Then, if it's not too much trouble, can I have that mixed with half a can of coke?"(4) Smiling, Naruto gave Jim a joyful look when it was said that it would be done. "Thank you!"

"Of course. Will that be all?" Jim politely asked again.

"Yes, that's it. Thank you." Sasuke held out his menu to the standing brunette, who already had Naruto's in hand, watching as he left with the promise of returning in a while with their food.

Naruto, who by now had forgotten all about his earlier half-bet thing, had waited a whole ten seconds before starting up another conversation. He wanted to get to know Sasuke a lot more and, in Naruto's mind, there was no better way then to just bombard him with questions.

"Wanna play a game?" Naruto asked, looking innocent.

"A game?" Sasuke repeated, looking suspicious. "What kind of game?"

"Just a question game. You know, I ask you a question, you ask me a question type-deal. It'll help us get to know each other better!" clarified the blonde, proud of coming up with such a wonderful way of finding out more about the older man.

"Alright. You can start, if you want." Sasuke shrugged, acting nonchalant as he placed an elbow on the table and cradled one side of his face in his hand.

"Sure!" Taking a second to think, Naruto tapped his chin, looking at the ceiling for his first question. "Okay. What's your favorite color?"

"Garnet." Sasuke replied instantly.

"Garnet?" Naruto questioned. "Isn't that the name of a stone?"

Nodding, Sasuke explained. "The stone is named after the color."

"Oh. That's cool. So it's like a... ruby red color, right?" Naruto asked, waiting curiously for the answer.

Sasuke nodded again, letting his hand drop from his face- the position had become uncomfortable for his elbow- and crossing his arms. "Close, but ruby-red is a tint lighter. A lot like a small drop of blood whereas garnet is the color you get when you look into a pool of blood. Ruby colored, but with a black base." Sasuke felt slightly uneasy about telling his new friend that his favorite color was the color of excessive amounts of blood, but lying was out of the question. Plus… he wasn't ashamed. It was just a color that happened to fascinate him a lot.

Naruto, on the other hand, took the information in stride and smiled brightly. "That's so cool. It's beautiful, but dark at the same time. I get it." And try as he might, he could not keep that little voice in his head at bay telling him that Sasuke's favorite color complimented him perfectly. _Dark and captivating. _Before letting his mind wander far, Naruto shook his head and said, "Okay Sasuke. Your turn. Ask me a question."

Sasuke smirked. "What sports to do you play?" He was rather curious to see what the hobbies were that kept the blonde in such good shape.

Laughing, Naruto said, "That's gonna get you a long answer." He paused a second, making a mental list. "I played basketball, volleyball, football and I did track while I was in high school. I still play them on occasion so my skills don't die on me, but now-a-days I like to kick box, snowboard and hangout at the gym." And as an afterthought, added, "Oh! And I bungee jump once in a while."

"That's impressive." Sasuke complimented.

"Something about jumping off a building gives me a thrill, ya know?" Looking spellbound by the thought, Naruto turned his eyes to the ceiling.

Appearing slightly mortified, but giving the blonde a grin, he teased, "Have you ever measured the length of the bungee cord wrong?"

His attention back to the raven, Naruto gave a small bubbling laugh and rubbed the back of his head in an embarrassed fashion. "Actually, I have. Hurt like hell, too. I jumped off and about half away down I noticed that the rope should have been stretching at that point, but it wasn't, so I hit my head on some rocks."

"Ouch." Wincing, Sasuke asked, sounding concerned, "Were you badly hurt?"

"No, not really. The rope bungee'd me back up before the impact got worse. I had the presence of mind to lean up the next time I came down so I didn't get hit again. Five stitches was all that I had to show for it. Lucky for me I have a hard head."(5) And as if to demonstrate,Naruto knocked lightly on the top of his head.

"I see. So you still bungee jump, even after what happened?" Sasuke hoped not.

"Yep! It's a blast." was the excited shout.

"Five stitches does sound like a lot of fun." Sasuke agreed with playful sarcasm.

"Hell yeah. At least now I'll never forget to measure twice." And Naruto laughed, Sasuke laughing right along with him.

It had gotten so comfortable... so- relaxed. So much so that they hadn't even realized that their food had arrived up until Jim was placing the plates down in front of them. He was silent, though, letting the mood continue undisturbed and leaving just as quietly with a small "Enjoy" for courteousy purposes.

Wasting no time, Naruto grabbed his chopsticks, snapped them apart and, with a cry of "Itadakimasu!" dug straight into his ramen.

Sasuke watched from his side of the table, nibbling delicately on a slice of sashimi, finding the slurping and all around childishness of the way the blonde ate, somewhat- charming. Weird, he knew that, but he couldn't help it. So far the attraction was nearly killing him and he'd done an admirable job of not jumping the man. Not to get his intention wrong, Sasuke was _not _ looking to just date a pretty face, but looking for the happiness that Naruto seem to bring everywhere he went. Five minutes in the man's company had shown Sasuke that Naruto was so full of life, always talking, always laughing, looking for a good time and always finding ways of having fun with others. It was such a change from Sasuke's daily life that he found himself being sucked into it without his consent and enjoying every moment of it even if it had only started that morning.

It was with that in mind that Sasuke stopped eating, took a sip of his drink, and said, "Naruto. It's your turn again." He was looking forward to continuing the game so he could learn a lot more about the blond. Maybe find out his sexual preference. It wouldn't really do if the man was straight, though if he recalled correctly, Kakashi might have already answered that question for him. Better to be sure than to be sorry, in any event.

Naruto looked up and, with a giant slurp, finished off a rather large mouthful of ramen before asking. "Okay, what are some of your hobbies?" Did the raven work to keep that figure, or was it just a high metabolism? Naruto would guess it was both.

Sasuke didn't take long to think. "I like archery."

"That's too cool!" Naruto cut in excitedly. "That takes a hell of a lot of skill. You any good?"

"Well I would like to think that all the time I've spent practicing would not have been spent in vain." Sasuke said carefully, so as not to sound too conceited. He took great pride in his skills, but there was no point in flaunting them. He could tell that it wouldn't impress the blond much, anyway.

"That's awesome. It sounds like it would be so much fun!" Naruto smiled, guzzling down some more ramen.

Sasuke could only smile back. "It is. If you want, I can give you some lessons."

"Dude, I would love you forever! Could you really give me lessons? " Naruto blinked wide, bright blue eyes, giving him his most impressive set of Bambi eyes that anyone had ever seen.

But even if those eyes hadn't melted him into a grossly unmanly pile of mush, Sasuke still would have said yes to the man, if not just to spend more time with him. "Sure." he agreed readily, watching another brilliant smile creep over the blond's face as he gave a joyous cheer.

"But-" But Sasuke wasn't going to pass up any chances when they presented themselves so nicely. "Only if you beat me in a basketball game."

Naruto paused and gave the raven a confused smile, hoping that what he had heard was in fact indeed really what he was hoping Sasuke had said. "You play?" he asked, trying very hard to mask his eagerness.

"A little." Sasuke responded, dabbing a roll in his soy sauce and polishing it off quickly.

"That's awesome. Yeah, sure! Let's play sometime, but be forewarned," Naruto wagged a finger playfully, "I really want those lessons!"

"You'll have to earn them then, blondie." And Sasuke smirked, staring straight into the other man's eyes, an aura of something competitive sparking up between them.

"You bet your ass I will, pretty-boy." Naruto countered, and while making sure to keep eye contact, grabbed a slice of albacore from his plate and stuffed it in his mouth. The rival thing they had developing was fun, it was something that just seemed to fit so right with their growing friendship. No one knew why, but at that moment, it was as if they were sharing one mind. The thought that they shared was, ironically, one that would most likely bond them together quicker than even a near death experience ever could.

_Maybe next time we can wrestle._

* * *

(1) If you're wondering about who Jason is... Don't worry about it now. You'll learn about him in the next few chapters. 

(2) If anyone forgot, Itachi said that Sasuke had been eager to get back and meet Naruto again. Ooooooh.

(3) Remember everyone, Sasuke is not an asshole all the time, like in most stories. He's actually really pleasant with Naruto! I'm sure you know why. :Points to a 'good' Itachi: Good aniki means no emo Sasuke. :3 Sorry... I thought I just needed to explain that because many people probably think that he should have been calling Naruto bad names by now.

(4) Yes...I do do this! It's delicious.

(5) I'm sorry, but if you're as perverted as me, you'll get it... If not... Yeah. You have a lot to learn.

**Plushie StickyNote:** First off! Yes I realize that this is kinda a fluffy chapter and there's a purpose. Then next chapter is pretty much a down hill slope for Naruto. I know. Tis sad but necessary. I really hoped you enjoyed this. It's a gift for leaving them out of chapter four and because the next chapter is will be sad Please please review! It's helps a lot when ya want a quicker update because your comments give me ideas!

**Quote:** "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." by Mark Twain

©2006 Ruby Plushie


	7. Apologies

**Disclaimer:** If I did own them I wouldn't have to waste my time writing this out. XD

**Warning:** Yaoi Boy/Boy. Leave if you suck and don't like it.

Oh! And this is un-beta'ed. Any comments on my grammar and spelling will be pouted at because I'm gonna have it beta'd later. Sargie's busy right so please just bare with it. I've done my best. Funny thing is..I'll probably re-read it and find things I should have found before. XD

**Edit (3/14/07):** Here you go peeps. I went back. Fixed some things, added some more. It's better now and longer too. :Is proud:

**Plushie StickyNote:** It's 1:19 in the morning and I am SO sorry. Please forgive me! Two months and Jesus fucking Christ I am sorry. Been so busy with SAT's and I have like...four one-shots I've been working on. I've just been a wreck. I tried to make it long to make up for the this extremely overdo update. 6000+ words. Sargie's right...I am an overachiver. ; Oopies. You're all lucky too. I had originally thought it was going to come out to only 4500 words, but eh...When inpiration hits I'm a sucker for late nights of writing. Which reminds me...I have fours hours until I have to get up for school. If you'll excuse me I'll just let you get onto the reading.

**!Enjoy!**

**FUCK! I almost forgot!**

This chapter is dedicated to Amy (Aka, Aaida-Harplake.) She drew me this beautiful fanart that you just HAVE to go see whenever you get the chance. (Check my profile for link.) She's been an absolute doll. Reviewing every chapter and just being a very good friend. Here you go babe! I know it's not exactly fluffy and cute, but I'm proud to say it's well written. And you just wait till I finish your one-shot! XD

**Now! GO ENJOY!**

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XXXXXX 

Apologies

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The district attorney office was well decorated with a mixture of elegance and a somewhat hidden beauty. Almost everything happened to be colored a rich shade of mahogany, a neutral place of business with nothing, no bright colors, that could distract someone from their work.. Nothing overly fancy either, but very professional in appearance. There was an urgency in every person's step as they walked the halls, because there was never a time that life wasn't hanging in the balance in the speed of knowledge. So- there was never really a time to admire such a beautiful place to begin with.

Through the double doors, down the first hall and the last door to the left would be where Jiryara Saninn's office was located, snug behind the outside area, used for secretaries and the offices of many other lawyers. The room was nice and comfortable, because when people visited him they were usually important and as such were treated with respect. A nice room would always convey that feeling. There was a desk that sat regally in front of a towering bookshelf, it's wooden planks lined with countless law books which gave an intellectual air. It was designed beautifully in powerful reds and golds as well. Tastefully so. Yes, it was an office befitting the man who owned it. He was the Chief District Attorney, so it was understandable that he received the such an exquisist office.

"What the hell are you talking about?! You can't do this to him!" A furious shouting could be heard through the walls of the district attorney's office though, that would strip away any desire to go near it, shaking with personification to what the people outside Mr. Sannin's office where feeling. No one on the outside dared get close in fear of being unwilling pulled into what was going on. What they didn't know couldn't hurt them, right?

There was a gathering in the office. Itachi, Kakashi, Iruka, Jiryara and Sai all together to discuss the future of someone they had come to know and, for everyone by Sai, love. Naruto's freedom hung delicately on this one conversation, dedicated completely on the next course of actions they would have to take.

"You cannot do this to him." Iruka repeated, in a softer tone which- if possible- was scarier then him yelling. "How can you be sitting there actually considering sending Naruto back to jail? What the hell are you thinking?!"

If left to continue, Iruka would have stayed there, leaning menacingly over Jiryara's desk, glaring scorch marks into everything and anything, screaming rhetorical questions until his lungs gave out. He was so lost and confused. He couldn't think properly anymore.

Jiryara, who was on the receiving end of most of Iruka's desperately frantic rant, looked up sadly into his friends eyes and muttered quietly. So pitifully so that everyone in the room winced. "What am I supposed to do Iruka? Just tell me how I fix this and I will." Rubbing aging hands up and down his face, Jiryara released a large sigh, looking much older now than his personality usually suggested.

"I don't know." Iruka's dejected answer floated in a hallow whisper around the room, gaining himself three pairs of sympathetic looks and one impassive one. Suddenly a swarm of exhaustion washed over the saddened detective and when his legs gave out, he fell into one of the plush guest chairs behind him. He hated that he was acting so weak, but he wasn't in control.

Kakashi came up behind his boyfriend and placed a not so comforting hand on his shoulder. Most people would later wonder if it was really to help Iruka or to give him something to balance himself on. You could tell he too was feeling the effects of this conversation.

Itachi stepped forward and asked. "Jiryara, is there any way to settle this without a trail?" It would be better if they could, but he was all too aware of how stupid the question was.

Sai would not let the hope of that statement get very far though. With a barely suppressed smirk he said. "Only if you're willing to visit Uzumaki-kun in jail for the rest of your lives. _That _is the minimum punishment the law gives to _murderers_."

There was a collective rise of anger in the room at the statement. Everyone knew it was true, but hated Sai for saying it out loud. He must have really lost his heart back then...He couldn't even give the mercy of false hope when people needed it! The bastard. Glares circled the young attorney, but he took it in stride, resting on the back wall and allowing the conversation to continue-

Until, of course, there was a time that more hope needed to be crushed.

"We're not willing to throw Naruto's life into a prison for a crime he didn't commit! So you can forget it." Iruka spat at the raven, continuing to glare spitefully at him. Sai only smiled semi-sympathetically back, infuriating the scarred detective even more. He'd punched the little shit in the face to get rid of that smile if it were not for his unwavering respect for Jiryara. But if things continued in this manner, Iruka was sure he would snap.

Leaning back against his chair Jiryara bit on his lip and stared hard into the surface of his desk. "He's right though..." The poor man was displeased that he had to agree with Sai's ruthlessly discouraging comment, but- he was right. Evidence, motive, and time death pointed incriminating daggers at Naruto and there were just too many to dodge. "This isn't something I can give Naruto community service for." And with a sigh the chief district attorney closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against his head-rest in a tired fashion.

That was not the answer Iruka had been looking for. "No! We can't have a trial and he can't go to jail! He did not kill that boy!" he shouted. The only thing keeping him from flying off the handle again was Kakashi's strong hand on his shoulder.

Kakashi was all too aware of the mounting tension and could feel that if it wasn't stopped soon, something bad would happen. Who could blame anyone else for losing their heads like this though? The investigation of the death of a valuable informant was now underway and there was no evidence against the actual people who'd done it. Of course more would be done to figure this out, but for now they needed to deal with what they were given. Kakashi lowered his head and cursed protocol, squeezing his boyfriend's shoulder tightly again. He needed to be strong for him as well because at this point there was no telling what Iruka would do.

In the end though, it would surprisingly be Jiryara who needed the restraining support the most. With alarming speed Jiryara stood from his seat and in an explosion of emotions, let out every frustration in a breathless flurry, taking everyone else back with it's intensity. He was so fed up with all the accusation at _him. _They were not the only ones who cared about Naruto! " I _know _that Iruka, but it doesn't matter how _we_ feel." He heard himself yelling. "What matters is that the jury will look at Naruto and then at his records and see a criminal! I can't just make up fake records and throw it at them. He fought with the victim a year ago, he has connections in Konoha, his scars, his past. They all incriminate him. They'll send him to jail, because it was his knife, covered in his prints and smeared with someone else's _blood_!" A deep, heavy breath served to do nothing, but to gather air, a look of disdain plastered on Jiryara's face. "I am _not _adefense attorney! My job," He paused for another breath "...the only thing I can do in this situation is present everything we have to a judge and hope to dear god that those people doubt that Naruto is the murder." Jiryara finished and looked down into his friends eyes, the hurt pouring out of him in buckets. _I'm so sorry, Iruka. _

Shrinking as far into his seat as he possibly could Iruka bit back a broken whimper, his face lowered in an ashamed manner. "I'm so sorry." He whispered, the softly spoken words almost not reaching the older man's ears. "This is- difficult for _all_ of us. Please forgive me." _I'm so sorry, Jiryara. _

Jiryara nodded and sat back down, his demeanor slightly less hostile than before. "It's alright, just don't forget that I will do everything I can to help in Naruto's defense. You know that." And turning to Itachi he added. "Everything we find out will be sent to you almost immediately."

Silently everyone, excluding Sai, felt another wave of hope wash back over them. Kakashi smiled tenderly and knelt down in front of his boyfriend, hands at his shoulders while their eyes were locked together in a steady gaze. He spoke softly and with an air of the most importance and with a gentleness that warmed hearts. "There's no reason to worry Ruka, just like Jiryara said. While the lawyers are doing their job, we'll be doing ours and we will catch the people who did this."

"I know, I _know_." Iruka heaved a long sigh and nodded. " I know, this is just so- _wrong_." He couldn't keep eye contact so instead he looked off to the side, biting his lip.

The room got quiet after that and with a collection of frowns Iruka, Itachi, Kakashi and Jiraya contemplated the upcoming days. There would have to be trial, if not the most they could do for Naruto was a life sentence in jail and_ that_ certainly was out of the question. They would not ask for a speedy trial and there would have be motion hearings left and right to give them enough time to investigate.

Sai was the only one who kept his reserve and so with the patience of a snake, waiting for the mouse to get closer, he watched them, looking for the perfect time to strike. It wasn't long before the lack of conversation started to take a strain on their mentalities, being left to their own devices was disheartening, and noticing that the body language around him was getting tense Sai let a small smile creep onto his face. Oh he was going to enjoy this.

Just before anyone else could open their mouths to say something, Sai sucked in a deep breath, and said with the utmost smugness. "So now that we're agreed on the circumstances, should I send someone to arrest Uzumaki-kun?" There was a short pause- "It would be unlawful to keep him on the streets any longer."

And as expected the tension doubled; anger, fear and sadness gripping the deeply wounded men and almost knocked them down. The one who was able to keep himself somewhat controlled was Itachi, but that didn't stop the other three from losing their heads a little. Kakashi and Jiryara had opened their mouths to yell at the raven, but Iruka moved first, beating them too it.

Iruka was up and towering over the young attorney milliseconds later, his eyes ablaze with a fury drunk with sadness. He couldn't take anymore. He'd ripped away from Kakashi so quickly that he wobbled slightly, but had been able to keep balance in the end anyway. He had the front of the raven's cleanly pressed suit clenched tightly in his hand and a scowl on his face so fierce that it would scare the fur off a tiger. There is was again, the desperation! It flickered across Iruka's eyes like a flame built off survival based rage. With a vicious push Iruka had Sai pinned against the wall and suddenly there was a shift.

What the hell was Iruka doing?!

"Don't be so eager to send Naruto away you little bastard." Iruka's voice was low and threatening, a lot like his episode with Kabuto, and as he spoke he made sure to punctuate every word by digging the man's back farther into the wall.

Sai was unaffected though, flinching only once, but quick to cover it up. He leaned against the wall as if it was his own decision to be there, uncaring of the fist in his shirt and smiled a sweet, sad smile that would serve to look appeasing, if it wasn't already laced with poison. "Umino-sama, you know I meant no disrespect, but we've been in this office close to two hours and we've concluded that we have no evidence to clear Uzumaki-kun. So really, it's your job to be aiding in the arrest of a suspected _murderer_. Please don't be so upset, I'm sure that once you start investigating that you'll find someth-" And that was about all Sai was able to weasel out before a hard fist caught him in the stomach, courtesy of Iruka himself.

There was a choked cough, Sai's eyes widening to an unnatural size and three shocked gasps around the room. Iruka paid none of it any mind, his anger boiling over at this point.

He fucking had it with this punk and so ignoring Jiryara's outraged cry for him to stop Iruka let the smaller raven drop to a pained heap on the ground, crouching down along side him to growl menacingly "You'll learn to watch what you say about my godson Sai or I'll make you sorry you ever came to New York." He watched with satisfaction when Sai could only muster up a simple glare. One thing could always be said about the younger man, at least he stuck to his personality, no matter what the situation. Filthy snake.

Iruka, after some time, of just glaring and watching the raven slump against the floor with an arm across his mid-section, became faintly aware of a hand on his shoulder. Breaking his attention away from Sai, he turned and acknowledge Itachi with an apologetic expression. The man was looking down at him with a mixture of disappointment and hidden approval. Itachi shook his head at him. Sai deserved what he got, but Iruka was such a kind soul that it hurt to see the brunette so unbalanced that it had lead him to such a harsh explosion of temper. Violence wouldn't solve their problems right now anyway.

On the other side of the room Jiryara shook his head and with another large sigh, called out to his employee. "Sai? You alright?" He might have _secretly_ wanted Iruka to have done more damage, but it wasn't right to physically hurt the boy just because he speaking the truth. Kakashi had stopped him from interfering and well- he sincerely didn't want to get in the middle to begin with. It was a little too much drama than he was willing to handle in this momentary crisis.

"I-I'm fine Jiryara-sama." Sai mumbled, slowly getting back to his feet, much to Iruka distaste, but who stood back nonetheless, staring with a cool glare as the man struggled. _It was worth it._ He thought. The sight of difficult breathing, the grimace of pain. Iruka knew it was wrong, but it had been worth it.

And then everything else became a distant memory, for now something bigger held center stage.

Itachi, who had barely spoken or done anything for the whole meeting, was suddenly very present in the room. His aura gave off a steady pulse of readiness that, demanding respect, called for his authority to be recognized. He stepped forward and all eyes had unwilling turned towards him. He looked determined, his own eyes reflecting a genius mind with a plan. "Jiryara-sama." He began, addressing his old friend with a steady voice. He seated himself gracefully on the arm of one of the chairs and gave a small pause so he could send the man a meaningful look. "This can be settled easily. If we can't have Uzumaki-kun out, free, while there's so much suspicion around him then we'll just have to arrest him. There is no reason to lose our tempers over it."

The silence was thick. Had they heard Itachi right? He had really said that they should arrest Naruto?

Iruka couldn't believe it! Shock controlling his limbs he stood and jumped over to Itachi with a desperate look. He spoke with uncertainty and such loss it was pliable. "You're not serious! You really think we should arrest him?! What the hell is wrong with you?" He even went so far as to grab the raven's arm, clutching at it tightly. "Itachi...?" He pleaded.

Itachi didn't look at his friend when he answered. "Iruka, you'll understand in due time." He smiled confidently and while he went to stand, pulled his cellphone. "I have to make a call. Jiryara-sama?" he called.

"Yes?" Jiryara asked, his voice wavering with surprise.

"Could I ask you to have a bail hearing set up alongside Naruto's arraignment?" Itachi hadn't lost his smile. It was such a simple statement too. There was nothing unusual about a bail hearing and arraignment going consecutively, but in the silence there was a whisper of something hopeful.

Wait..._wait_...

And then there it was. A collective understanding. It was so easy!! Why- why hadn't anyone thought of it before?! Iruka fell back into a chair with a relieved sigh. Kakashi's eyes curved happily and his grin was so wide you could see it from under his mask. Jiryara sat back with a smile and nod and Sai was in the background, a large scowl on his face.

Itachi didn't stay, to watch their reactions. Stepping out into the hallway he flipped his phone open and made his call, feeling all the world content that he'd save Naruto again. And again and again. As many times as it was needed, because for him, Naruto was important. Very, very important.

* * *

"Idiot." 

"Baka."

"Bastard."

"Teme."

"Loser."

"Usuratonkachi."

"And what do you say when you want to tell someone that they're never going to beat you?"

"You would call them a 'dobe'. Which translates roughly to 'dead-last', but it's more in terms of telling them that's they're...well stupid.."

Eyes wide and grinning like the Chesiere Cat, Naruto wiggled happily, back in the comfort of Sasuke's car. "This is so cool. Iruka never taught me any of these words before. Now I can cuss people out in Japanese."

Sasuke gave a shake of his head and watched the road, conversing easily with the blond man next to him. "And who are you going to 'cuss' out'?"

They had finished lunch about half an hour ago and in that time had had dessert as well, which had consisted of a shared raspberry cake, and now they were just cruising around, Sasuke waiting for a call from his brother and Naruto not caring where the hell they were going to begin with. He was just happy to be out of the station

"You know! All my friends! I mean hell, the only people I know who can speak anything but English are your brother, my god father and two of my buddies from Konoha." Naruto waved his hands dramatically, signally that somehow this was important information. "And I guess now you fit into that category too." He added as a quick after thought.

"Yeah." Sasuke answered absentmindedly. Repeating the sentence Naruto had just said over and over again, he frowned. He had some questions he wanted to ask, but he wasn't sure if he could. Why-

"Um...Naruto? Could I ask you a question?" Sasuke asked, staring ahead, his eyes glued to the road. His jaw set and knuckles clenched painfully around the steering wheel, he waited.

"Well you didn't give me much of choice now did you?" Naruto barked out a gruff laugh, unaware of the drastic change in the raven's mood.

"Yeah. I guess. Okay. Can I ask you two questions then?" Sasuke asked again, keeping his voice low and solemn, his feelings matching both perfectly.

Naruto sobered instantly, noticing the other's tone and gave an affirmative nod, knowing the raven had seen it, but answering nonetheless. "Sure."

Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek. "I...Well you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but..." He paused and considered his words carefully. "I know this isn't something you would talk about freely, but...what are you doing in this gang? Konoha, I mean."

From the corner of his eye Sasuke saw the blond flinch and quickly answered the silent question. _How did you know it was a gang? _"It's in one of your files. Itachi gave it to me." He held his breathe, keeping a close eye on the blond's body language because his eyes were already turned away.

For a long time neither said a word, Naruto shifting uncomfortably, looking anywhere, but at Sasuke and Sasuke just driving on and on, waiting patiently, with no real destination in mind. They could feel uncertainty creep over them in small waves, invading their previously joyous mood and contaminating it.

Naruto's mind raced with the most unsettling thoughts that stirred something painful in his stomach. The view outside was one big blur, this brain clouding all other functions. What if Sasuke found out more about his gang and the things they did and didn't want anything else to do with him? He didn't he could deal with that. Sasuke had just become his friend and he really wanted to keep him. He's wasn't a bad person, he just made a few mistakes in life. Plus...The stuff that went on in Konoha might have no been necessarily legal, but- _Aa, shit. Forget it. It's too soon. I can't let him know anything about it. It'll just get him in trouble. _Naruto beat himself mentally. He couldn't let the raven know much.

He sighed and began, apologizing first and foremost.."I'm sorry Sasuke." He really hated having to keep this from someone who obviously cared and wanted to help. "It's not that...well it's that I've _just_ gotten to know you and I'd hate to have anything I say make you see me differently." Naruto could tell that the young attorney was listening intently so he pressed on, trying to convey his reasoning for keeping him in the dark as logically as he could. "I guess I can't stop that from happening, but you should know that I'm not proud of some parts of my life. And before you make up some conclusions, Konoha isn't all bad. I'd like to show you one day, but- " Biting his lip Naruto took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "But right now I'd rather not talk about it." He concluded lamely, a whisper of unspoken finality brushing the back of his mind. _It'd be to dangerous._

"I understand, but, Naruto?" Sasuke turned his head and for a second let his eyes do all the talking. He wanted for the other man to trust him. There was no way he could defend him to the best of his ability if he somehow felt that Naruto couldn't be honest with him and tell him when he needed help. From now on, he was his lawyer and his- friend, and as such he needed that bond to be there.

That did not mean however that he would force it upon the blond. Sasuke knew. He knew that he needed to earn the trust he wanted because really he was just some guy Naruto had met only a few hours ago, but for now he could at least let the the younger man know that he cared. Itachi believed in him...he believed in him. There was just something inheritably good that Naruto radiated and it had become impossible to ignore.

There was a leap in his gut and Sasuke knew it was his way of telling himself that Naruto was- important, even if he couldn't pinpoint why. He brought his eyes back to the road, confident he'd left an impression and gave a deep sigh. "Don't ever worry about me judging you." he said and left it at that. There was no need to elaborate and even if he had felt the need to, he wouldn't have. He was way to preoccupied now with his own swirl of uncertainties to quell any Naruto might have.

Silence loomed over them again. Naruto had nodded and said nothing else. All of a sudden he was too shaken to do anything else but stare ahead, almost like a soulless doll. It was finally catching up to him. The fatigue of the last few hours. Before he'd tried to avoid dealing with it. He'd emptied his mind, kept himself busy by walking around around the precinct, and except for those few moments he'd been forced into thinking about it, he had done almost anything to keep his mind distracted. Hell, he'd used the man next to him as a distraction too. A very effective distraction, but now there was nowhere to run to. He was locked in a car and, unable to face the challenge of learning to completely trust this new person in his life, had only one choice left. Dealing with his own shit.

There was a murder hanging over his head, a thought that no amount of distraction had been able to erase completely. Throughout his recent lunch the thought had plagued him and no matter how normal he'd tried to act there had been seconds where he had to duck his head and let that sentence sink in before shoving it back again. It was constant battle to keep up his cheerful compose, but he betrayed nothing, something he was eternally grateful for. He'd genuinely had been happy to be around the young lawyer, but no matter how hard someone tried they can never keep thoughts like that at bay.

Some part of Naruto had also realized that no matter how much he liked the other man Sasuke would only view him as a murder suspect and maybe just a friend, something that left this stingy pain in his heart he couldn't begin to explain. It hurt, because he really enjoyed this man's company. It would be such a sorrowful thing if what they had so far was _damaged. And all because I'm a loser with a dirty past. It'll be a miracle if he's even still my lawyer after he finds out how horrible I really am. _

Naruto felt himself wince. What was wrong with him? He'd just met him! He shouldn't be caring so much! Fuck! What the hell was wrong with this week?! Nothing was going right for him. Those shitheads should have just killed him instead and saved everyone this torture. No one else deserved to deal with this because of him.

With a heavy heart Naruto whispered more to Sasuke than anyone else, even if they too were in his thoughts.. "I'm sorry."

Sasuke's ears perked at the apology_. What? Why... _He bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from yelling at the man for being so stupid as to actually apologize to him. He had nothing to be sorry about and to be honest...he rather disliked hearing, the once so happy tone of the other man's voice, sound so- broken.

Instead of replying in a way that allowed Naruto to see how unnerved he was, Sasuke took a calming breath and raised a hand, smacking it across the back of the younger man's head. "Don't apologize to me. You didn't do anything wrong." It felt natural to physically scold the blond and as such Sasuke didn't feel awkward for doing it.

Gasping, Naruto bent forward and gave a yelp of surprise, hands rushing up to clutch at his head. "Itta! What the hell...?" Blinking rapidly he turned pouting eyes to the raven, realizing what he'd just said.. "Oh yeah? You won't be saying that when this all gets worse." Looking dejected he turned his head in a huff. He wasn't mad about getting hit just that Sasuke was being so blind as to think he wasn't at fault for someones death.

"Hey. Unless you really did kill that kid, you have _nothing_ to be sorry about, so shut up." Quickly Sasuke's frustration was getting the better of him. How stupid did you have to be to look at a murder and blame yourself for it? Naruto hadn't even been there. The cops had broke down his door at three in the morning to let him know about it. He couldn't start blaming yourself for things that are out of his control, because it could break a man. Break anyone. No. Naruto wasn't to blame no matter how many people those men killed.

"Dammit. You just don't understand? Do you? They killed him because of me! They wanted to get to me. Jeez. They obviously went through all that trouble of stealing my knife and getting my prints so they could get me in trouble. Hence why it's my fault!" Naruto ranted at his new lawyer, his temper taking rein. "Stop saying it's not my fault, because if it wasn't for me that kid would still be alive." What the hell. Why was Sasuke fighting with him about this? And why...why was he fighting back?

This felt so natural too. Despite their budding friendship, they both had conflicting personalities that at some points would have collide. Sasuke didn't want Naruto to feel bad and Naruto just wanted Sasuke to understand where he was coming from. Guilt and protectiveness battled.

"I'm sorry, but I'm full from lunch so stop feeding me your self-righteous crap! You didn't force that kid to get mixed up in that shit. Hell, I'd bet my car you didn't even want that kid to die did you? He beat the shit out of one of your friends, sent him to the hospital and you still didn't want him dead? Isn't that right, _Uzumaki-kun_?" Sasuke yelled back, looking at the road with steely eyes, everything he saw, a hazy red. He had never one for vulgarities or being unnecessarily rude, but there was just something_- Fuck _it. Sasuke stopped himself mid-thought, not willing to dwell on why Naruto's self-pitying mood had gotten to him, he just knew that it made his skin itch in an uncomfortable way. He didn't like this side of Naruto and right now he would do anything to make it go away, even scream at him.

At the angry accusation Naruto had snapped his mouth shut and set about glaring holes into his attorney's skull. No. He'd never wanted Zaku to die. He didn't deserve to die, but that still didn't quell his guilt. Zaku's mom...his sibilings- How could he not blame himself? He'd _never _forgive himself, no matter how many times he'd get into this argument with the ebony-eyed man.

"What the hell do you know?! Maybe I didn't want him to, but that still doesn't make it any less my fault. I won't forgive myself, just because I wasn't the one who bled him dry!" Naruto gritted out. Suddenly his head started to pound and with a curse, he began to rub his temples even thought it was far from soothing.

"You're being an idiot!" Sasuke sneered back "How could you have done _anything _to stop what happened? For God sakes, stop making this about you and start realizing that someone else did this!" He made a tight turn to his left and raced down the street, heading back towards the precinct. Might as well since it was apparent that this conversation was going nowhere.

Naruto turned to him and with a murderous glare started to yell again. "Fuck you. I'll fucking make this as much about me as I want! This is the worse week of my god damn life and I don't need some sheltered bastard telling me how to deal with my problems. So piss off." Naruto bit out harshly. " You've probably never had to deal with death you're entire life!"

And there a knife got stuck in the tension, it's ridges unable to cut through such a solid block. Sasuke was glaring at Naruto with such intensity that he had to wonder why he wasn't a pile of a mush yet.

Without warning Sasuke pulled off to the side of the road and screeched to a stop, addressing the man next to him with the coldest attitude he could muster. What Naruto had said hurt him and now he just wanted to get rid of the other man. "Get out." He growled.

"Huh? Sasuke- What?" Naruto paused and looked around, confused. He knew what he'd said was harsh, but he'd never expected Sasuke to take it this badly. He looked down and wondered exactly what it was he'd said to upset the raven so much, but in the end he knew it was his last statement that had caused this reaction. Repeating it in his mind over and over Naruto couldn't help from frowning. He didn't think he'd said anything _too _bad-

And once the statement finally registered completely in his mind, Naruto gasped loudly, opening his mouth up quickly to apologize. Fuck! He was such fucking jerk! Itachi had told him once about the death of his parents, but he'd forgotten until now. _Crap_- Naruto winced. He really needed to start thinking before he opening his big mouth.

Unfortunately Naruto wasn't able to choke his heartfelt apology out, seeing as Sasuke's cell phone interrupted, the lyrics to "Boom Boom Boom" by the VengaBoys blaring, before he could even utter a syllable. Boy men almost fell over at the absurdity of the song as the words "**Boom boom boom, I want you in my room. Let's spend the night together- together in my room.**" were heard playing innocently around them.

_Well that killed the mood. _They thought in unison, both holding down their own respective blushes.

Sasuke, who had been waiting impatiently for the blond to say what he was going to say and get out, looked down at his pocket with a mixture of horror and embarrassment. Taking his phone out quickly Sasuke glared down at the number and growled. _Perfect timing. _

Pressing the talk button Sasuke answered with a angry, "Itachi!" And he shifted the phone to his other ear before continuing. "If you _ever_ mess with my ring tone again I will castrate you! _Jesus_! Do you have any idea how embarrassing that just was?!"

There was response on the other end that Naruto couldn't make out so instead he sat back, letting Sasuke talk and kept himself busy by beating the mental stuffing out of himself. He hated himself so much right now that he just wanted to jump off a bridge. He had been so insensitive towards Sasuke. God, he an asshole.

Sasuke on the other hand was listening intently to his brother, who had brushed off his earlier threat easily, the conversation taking an interesting turn. He glanced at Naruto uncertainly and flinched. He didn't like what he brother was telling him but- Well...At least now they had a plan, and Naruto wouldn't be in jail more than two hours anyway. He sighed and began wrapping up the conversation.

"We'll head back now then. Yeah. Yes, he's fine. No, we'll be back in fifteen minutes. Sure. No, we were just talking. We're fine. Shut up! I sound perfectly normal...We...it's not a 'lover's tiff', idiot. NO! WE WERE NOT HAVING MAKE-UP SEX!" and too frustrated to care about being rude Sasuke hung up, pocketing his phone again. _Supid Itachi. _Sasuke sighed. There was just too much going on right now to continue being so pissed off, so taking two more deep breaths, he cleansed himself mentally of all his afflictions. A helpful trick he'd learned a while back from one of his doctors.

Now ready to face everything with a much calmer view Sasuke turned to regard his client, eyes softening at the sullen look on his face. "Naruto?" He called out. It seemed as if the blond hadn't heard a thing of his conversation, something he would thank God later for, but had instead closed his eyes and was having a raging battle in his own mind, nose was scrunched up in an guilty pout.

"Huh?" Jolted from his own thoughts Naruto set his eyes on Sasuke and noticing that he was already off the phone, went to launched himself into a pleadeding rant for forgiveness.

"Sasuke! Please forgive me! I was such an asshole. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean a word of what I said before. Please-" But Naruto wasn't able to finish.

Sasuke held a hand up, interrupting him again. "There's nothing to forgive anymore. I know you didn't mean it. I'm the one who should be sorry. I let this get out of hand." Now a lot calmer Sasuke easily forgave the blond for his brash remark, knowing that Naruto was sorry, but most of all knowing he'd deserved it for pushing him so much. This was difficult for the other man and he didn't need Sasuke, someone he didn't even know that well, lecturing him and pushing his buttons like that.

"No! What I said was horrible and I'm really sorry. Please forgive me!" Naruto begged, his eyes wide and frightened.

"Dobe! It's okay, I forgave you already." Sasuke said, shaking his head. For a moment he felt sixteen again. Sixteen and as if he was trying to console his boyfriend about something trivial. It was slightly weird, but left a pleasant bubble in his chest as he watching Naruto's reaction.

Naruto sat, stunned for a few seconds before letting an easy grin split his face. "Really? Thank you, Sasuke! And I'm sorry again." He hugged the raven quickly and let go so as not to over-step his boundaries.

"Forget about it." he answered, a smile forcing the ends of his lips upwards. It had been a nice hug. "Anyway. That was Itachi and we need to get back."

Blinking cutely Naruto leaned back and nodded slowly, settling himself back comfortably in his seat. "Sure. Is everything alright?"

"You'll find out when we get back, for now just don't worry about it." Sasuke said, pulling back into the street and directing the car towards the DA's office.

"Okay." Naruto was just all too content to let the vague answer slide, his head now resting against the headrest as he watched the city once again become a blur outside a tinted window. He was about to release a relieved breathe when something suddenly hit him. "Hey! Don't call me 'dobe' you...you teme!" he pouted, turning playfully narrowed, ocean-blue eyes at the raven.

Sasuke laughed and uncaring of the repercussions answered. "No, it fits you."

"Are you calling me stupid?!" Naruto yelled, but in more of a put out way than anything else. " Because, I am not _stupid_!"

"Maybe not, but it still fits you. Live with it." Sasuke smirked. "Dobe-kun."

"Fine! You be that way. Sasuke-teme!" Naruto huffed and pushed his back against the seat, arms coming to a cross over his chest.

"Thank you, Naruto. I feel better now that I have your permission."

"Ugh! You suck you know that?"

And just like that they were fixed. Better than before and growing. Fights would come and go, just like this one, but for some unknown reason both felt safe knowing that they would all end the same. They relived happily in their friendship- rivalry, whatever anyone wanted to call it, Sasuke who was thinking to himself of how much more he would have enjoyed his childhood had this man been there and Naruto taking, for the first time in a long while, a time away from thinking about anything that had to do with his past.

* * *

And what about his future? You'll just have to wait to find out ne?! ;) 

**Plushie StickyNote:** I hope you liked it. It's somewhat...different from my other chapters, because the humor isn't as huge and all over the place, but it's there. Obviously. XD I really just had one reviewer in mind while I wrote this. Omegar. You've been a great help in the the writing of these last two chapters. I was disappointed when my last chapter came out 'predictable', and I hope now you see what I was trying to do. Anyway! There you go everyone. It's late, but I look forward to waking up to a million reviews! If this chapter is any indication, I really take them to heart and would love to hear your thoughts. Remember. I may just being doing this for fun for me, but you guys are the ones who read it afterwards. Ja ne:hug:

**Quote:** We don't really have enemies. It's just some of our best friends are trying to kill us.

©2007 Ruby Plushie


	8. Arrested Development

**Disclaimer:** ...They're mine! All mine I tell you!

**Warning:** Actually...This chapter's pretty timid. Nothing really to warn anyone about. Some talk of death though and some fighting...Little violence. But! Homophobes must leave. I don't like you and you won't like this. Bye bye

**Plushie StickyNote:** You've all been waiting for this huh? Yeah. I know. I spent wayyyyyyyyy to long on this. My only excuse is laziness, but to make up for it I made it pretty long. I'm very proud of the length Almost ten thousand, plus, words. Hmmm. I just hope you all enjoy. I feel like my writing is improving with each chapter so I'm happy to share it all with you guys. Please don't be mad it took this long. Promise the next one will be out soon. I'm looking so forward to the next chapter you guys have no clue. Everyone's gonna love it. XD

**Dedication:** Ah! I promised a friend I dedicate a chapter to her for writing me a wonderful one-shot. Sayward. Thanks a million for being so paitent:hug: And also I wanna thank everyone else who's been keeping up with me. It's nice to hear how much people like my story. XD

**GO ENJOY NOW!**

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Arrested Development

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"Raidou?"

Now...there was never a day that didn't go by that Raidou Namashmi didn't regret something or another that he'd done. Everyone else did it- It was just human nature.

The first on today's list for Raidou was namely agreeing to date Genma Shiranui.

"Rai...?"

There were a number of reasons why dating a psychotic and highly perverted cop had its down sides. Raidou's only consolation was that the pros of his relationship were worth the cons. Genma was...Well Genma.

"Raidou!" Poke poke poke.

Anyone in a relationship would say the same thing. "If I didn't love them so much they would be dead."

_It's definitely 'something' if I've lived with him this long. _Raidou sighed. Today was a rough day and at the moment Genma wasn't making it any easier. The couple waked down a white hallway, doors on either side of them floating past along with a minimal sound of human activity. Genma was giving his partner a conflicted stare and Raidou was unintentionally ignoring him.

So consumed with his own inner torment Raidou didn't even look up when making the turn into the next hallway, the sole of his shoes tapping in a rough smack of leather against linoleum.

Raidou could have comfortably continued the rest of the afternoon lost in his own thoughts. It was difficult to concentrate on anything other than himself. That's what he needed anyway. To think about himself. If he started to think about the case anymore he'd snap. He felt stupid about worrying to this point, not to mention that everyone else was caught up in the emotional strain it was leaving. He should at least be have his mind in the right place, but it just wasn't happening at the moment.

Jesus. Iruka was his best friend. He needed to be in control, calm, level-headed. He need to be helpful.

This was why he was like this at the moment. That was why all he could was think about was himself...Genma. Them and their relationship! They were the constants in his life that he could control and keeping them in mind was better than anything else.

Anything else being Naruto. To distract himself from the distressing thoughts of the case he concentrated on the sfaer topics of his life. It wasn't necessarily a smart choice, but it was better. Better than worrying about Naruto because if he did he knew that he'd be at even more of a loss. More of a burden. No...Not so much a burden. Just a useless shell of a person who couldn't escape his own mental turmoil. It was a mantra. Never ending._ Don't think about it. It won't help. Relax. Get your head on straight. _

Not watching where he was going Raidou was brought, rather violently, from his musings though when he collided with something solid. It gave slightly under the force of the collision, but ultimately sent him a step back in surprise. Lifting his gaze he settled his sights on the tangible form of his earlier distracting thoughts.

"Genma." He sighed and struggled to keep the agitation from his voice. "Move."

Genma who tired to look intimidating, glared. It did nothing to accent the seriousness he was hoping to convey in his attitude, but nonetheless he could see that Raidou got the point. Crossing his arms over his chest the younger man said, almost in a whine. "No, you missed the door."

There was a pause and for a moment Raidou was at a loss as to what to say.

Opening his mouth Raidou looked up at his partner with some confusion. "Huh?"

Genma just huffed and jerked his head in his boyfriend's direction, indicating that he was motioning behind the other man. "You missed the Autopsy Room about five doors back."

"Oh..." And spinning around on his heels the scarred detective made his way back down the hallway feeling, rather than seeing Genma following right behind him.

The silence lasted all for about ten milliseconds.

"What's wrong?" Genma asked, uneasy towards his boyfriend distant attitude. "You've been a little- out of it, since we left the station." Despite his lack of apathy of human emotion Genma did know when his boyfriend was bothered with something. It had been a quiet ride here and unnerving to see him so-reserved. He'd have to be seriously mentally incapacitated to not realize that Raidou was clearly upset about Naruto, but ...

"It's nothing you have to worry about. Let's go." Raidou dismissed. Genma's concern elevated with another few steps, leaving him to trail behind dejectedly. Maybe if he..hugged him? Told him it was okay. Maybe things would get better?

_Who am I kidding? I'm horrible at this comforting stuff. _With a reproachful look Genma picked up his pace a little.

All he wanted was for Raidou to feel better. Stepping into place next to the older brunette he nudged him gently with his shoulder, hoping he'd take comfort in his presence and relax. Maybe lose some of that sullen aura, because it was honestly suffocating him.

Raidou's response was distinctly saddening.

"Genma, please don't." Raidou sighed, straightening his step after having bumped and slid across the wall briefly at the nudge. He didn't care much to share his feelings with the other man. He'd spent the car ride over to the hospital silent, for a reason. He wasn't about to spill everything now.

They stopped in front of the right door this time, but neither made a move to go in.

It was almost impossible to decipher Raidou's expression, but nonetheless Genma felt a knot twist its way painfully in his stomach. Keeping his gaze steady he nodded at the scarred man. "Fine, we can talk about it later?" He asked, slightly hopeful.

Raidou didn't respond verbally but after a moment nodded back and with a meaningful look took hold of the door handle pushing the door out of his way and took a few steps inside.

Genma followed him in without another word.

The room they entered was perfect in a stereotypical way. Smelling of embalming fluid and a million other unidentifiable odors that neither of them could even try to pronounce, the room was cast in a shadowy, pale-blue glow. The counter tops were littered with countless pieces of equipment, all of which looked important and highly delicate. Nothing could be viewed as useless, made of glass and metal. All the furniture was metallic too and glinting sickeningly under florescent white lights. Behind transparent cupboard doors an unbroken line of shelfs circled the room, in each, an assorted collection of chemicals and more equipment.

In the center of the room a table, width and length that of an average sized human, sat quietly and undisturbed. Resting on it's unforgiving metal surface was the corpse of Zaku Abumi, covered in a light blue sheet, it's grooved pattern curved around the contours of the body.

Genma's spine straightened with a shiver, a ghostly chill about the room giving him a weird feeling.

From the corner of the room a tall and lanky figure emerged. Genma, of course, jumped not having noticed the man, but Raidou was, again, undisturbed. In retrospect the mans appearance shouldn't have been much of a surprise since he was the one they had come to see, but the suddenness of his presence was reason enough to be startled.

Well...At least Genma thought so.

"Dr. Aburame. Good to see you again." Raidou, un-fazed if still not a little detached, nodded his head in greeting.

The doctor only gave them a small nod in return as his acknowledgment. Wasting no time Raidou took his place beside the table while Dr. Aburame stood on the opposite side, in his hand a metal encased clipboard and a pen. He spoke in a low tenor as Raidou began his questioning and Genma made another sweep of the room, his thoughts wandering.

The mentioned doctor was an odd man. Very odd. Odd and frightening in both his action and speech. His demeanor vibrated with intelligence, but lacked a certain physical impression, neither imposing nor possible to ignore. He was the kind of man that was forgotten the moment he left but lead the pack without having to bark out orders or asserting his power in a less than professional way. With pale, unmarred skin and rich, dark brown hair the man was definitely attractive, if not also a bit awkwardly graceful with his lanky figure. He had a serious and biting personality, largely contrasting with his young, appealing features. Genma sighed quietly at the thought. A shame that such a good-looking man was such a stiff.

The strangest thing about him though were his eyes...Or the lack of knowledge one had of them. Hidden behind a pair of circular sunglasses Dr. Aburame's eyes were something to be curious of. He wore them constantly. Out doors, in doors, when it was foggy, when it was raining- hell, even when it was dark..

It was_ strange _and gave the man an edge over everyone else in it's mystery.

"Genma?" A sudden voice prodded at his subconscious.

Pulled from his thoughts the tooth-pick chewing detective turned a half-lidded gaze to his lover and 'hmm'ed' a reply. "Yes?"

"Is there an interesting thought you'd like to share? I can see your head in the clouds." With an eyebrow raised Raidou sent his partner a disapproving forwn and crossed his arms. He and Dr. Aburame had been in conversation for only a few moments before realizing Genma's lack of participation which had annoyed him. Genma didn't take many things seriously and _this _was something he should have been taking seriously.

Bothered about being caught not paying attention Genma bit his lip and did the thing he always did when he was in an unusual mood. He made a stupid comment. Shaking his head the younger man stabbed a thumb in the medical examiner's direction as he stated, quite immaturely "Nah babe, just wondering how long Shino here has had that stick up his ass is all. Didn't even say hello you know?" and sent both men a stupid smile.

A muscle in the doctors jaw had twitched and that was the only warning Genma got before he found himself on the floor, clutching at his forehead with a whimper with a ball point pen smacking the ground next to him, ending up rolling towards him before coming to stop against his side. "Itta!"

Rubbing furiously against the injury to numb the irritation, Genma looked up and stuck his tongue out at the young doctor. "Dammit Aburame. Pens are for writing! Not for you to throw at people."

"You should be more respectful then." Dr Aburame's cold voice accused, his hand going back to rest at his side. The look he then sent Raidou gave the clear impression that he was quickly becoming fed up with the man on the floor.

Rubbing both hands across his cheeks Raidou took a sharp glance at his boyfriend before nodding back at his friend. He took a step and bent down, Genma watching him closely. Hand grabbing at his boyfriend's wrist he dragged the long-haired brunette to his feet and leveled him with a glare that promised a very unpleasant argument in the near future. Bitting back the instinct to give Genma a good smack he instead took solace at the flinch he got as he bit out an angered "Grow up." in the mans' ear. "You do not need to piss of everyone we talk to, okay?"

Genma who was, conscious-stricken and if not a little humiliated swung his head to the side to avoid looking at Raidou in the eye as he grunted his affirmation. "I was just trying to lighten the mood, sorry." His eyes found Raidou's again slowly and with a certain amount of hesitation, pleading.

"Well don't."

Dropping his boyfriend's wrist Raidou softened and shook his head, pivoting back towards Dr. Aburame without acknowledging the brunette's piercing stare now at his back. From behind he felt Genma's body heat fade and out of his peripheral saw him go to lean against one of the counters, his feet and arms crossed in front of him. Boring into them with an appearance of complete concentration on what was going to happen next Genma trained both eyes at the table while turning his ear in their direction.

Raidou, upset at how things were progressing, trudged ahead despite the mood and favored the stoic doctor with a weak smile. "I'm sorry Dr. Aburame. Let's just get back to the autopsy. If the..." He paused, brows knitting together in an expression of a recollection. "_E__xsanguination_ of the carotid artery didn't cause his death, what did?" (1)

An exclamation of confusion from behind kept Raidou from his answer.

"I'm sorry...What?" Genma interrupted from the side, twin glares thrown at him for having the nerve to open his mouth again. "Exsan- what?" He pressed, ignoring the dirty looks he was receiving.

"In lament terms it means a cut across the throat." Raidou offered with strained patience. He was about ready to send Genma out of the room at this point.

With a curious wrinkle of his nose Genma uncrossed his arms and questioned. "Wasn't that just easier to say?"

"No." Was Raidou's clipped reply, serious and somewhat affronted at being asked such a stupid question.. "And you wouldn't be asking for an easier explanation if you actually went to the medical courses that we're allowed to receive for _free_." Honestly, if Genma was going to be difficult and refuse to join him to a couple of classes that would benefit them in their jobs then he shouldn't have to explain every little thing to the man. The same rule applied if Genma was too busy day-dreaming to pay attention to what Shino had been explaining to him before. _Might as well guilt him for not coming with me. _

"C'mon Raidou, you know even if I had gone to those things I still wouldn't have gotten it. I'm a cop, not a doctor." Genma whined, looking horror struck that the prospect of having this conversation again.

"It doesn't matter Genma." Raidou shot over his shoulder while he dug into one of his coat pockets and pulled out a small note pad and pen. He moved towards his boyfriend and held them out for his to grab with a furious click of the pen. "Just take notes and be quiet."

"Fine!" Genma snapped back tartly, angered about how his partner had been acting since the start of the investigation. "Excuse me for wanting to understand." He sniffed and snatched the notepad and pen, watching Raidou move back to stand beside Zaku's body with a scowl. All he wanted to do was help. Instead all he got was a scolding.

Raidou lifted a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, his aggravation present in the warning he growled at his lover. "Genma, shut up."

"Hmph." And Genma pressed his lips together in a stubborn refusal to say thing else to either help or worsen the situation. He just began to click the tip of the pen in and out of it's casing waiting for them continue.

Despite wanting to take the annoying writing implement from his boyfriend now and force it down his throat Raidou inhaled a falsely calming breath and exhaled after ten seconds of holding it in. Maybe the blood loss to his brain, even if only momentary, would keep his forming headache from growing thorns and developing into a migraine. "Dr. Aburame. If the _cut to his throat _didn't kill him, what did?" He pleaded with his eyes, sending his friend a worn look.

Dr. Aburame, who had watched the conflict without so much as a change in expression or a shift of body weight, raised a single eyebrow in their direction Mercifully though he continued his report with an air lacking recognition of what what had just happened. He preferred not to get involved in others affairs. "The victim fainted from blood loss, but died from drowning."

There was short lapse of silence, Raidou and Genma taking the information in stride, but not without some confusion.

"Drowning? Like he was killed first and then dropped off at the warehouse? Because there wasn't any water sources near by."

"No. Evidence shows he was killed in the same place you found him." Shuffling through some papers the doctor continued, ignoring the fleeting looks of befuddlement he was inspiring in the other men. "The body was found laying face down in a usually inconsequential amount of blood. A cut that large would bleed out enough to soak the entire body, but in this case the cause of death was the fact that when the victim tried to stop the bleeding with his own hands he drowned himself."

"That makes no sense. You don't drown trying to stop a bleed." Genma retorted, highly confused and questioning of the doctors sanity.

Dr. Aburame glowered and reprimanded the statement in a cutting quip. "You do if you receive a laceration that extends through the jugular and into your trachea as well as the esophagus. To stop himself from bleeding this man covered up the cut, but the blood didn't go back into his circulatory system. The blood instead poured down his throat and into his lungs." (1)

"Well...that explains the bruising around the neck- but not the ones on his arms and wrists." Raidou stated offhandedly from beside Zaku's body, who was now exposed from the the hips up, the blue sheet pulled back to pool around them. He was examining the boys neck, a wrinkle settling across his brow. "And are you sure he wasn't dead before he drowned, Shino?"

"Yes. The blood was found his lungs not his stomach." And at the skeptical regard of the other two men Shino hung his clipboard back on the table and started to clarify his report with motions towards the body when necessary. "The boy experienced a fleeting moment of laryngospasms, which are constrictions of the vocal cords to seal off the trachea, while he was unconscious." He pointed at the boys throat indicating the area where the windpipe split into the trachea and esophagus. (2) "They begin once a liquid enters the airway and for them to relax enough to allow fluids into the lungs the body must be alive during the process of drowning. If he'd been dead before the drowning could have killed him the epiglottis wouldn't have blocked off passage to the stomach and blood wouldn't be in his lungs."

"Just to be clear the epiglottis is what closes off the trachea when somethings being swallowed, right?" Genma queried, laying down his notepad and pen, since he wasn't even taking notes anyway.

Both Raidou and Shino nodded as an answer, prompting him to explain what he's been told- out loud, while he paced back and fourth some steps. "So..If he'd been dead before drowning the...larygon-thingies would have kept the throat closed while the blood got into his stomach, but since the blood was in his lungs it means that..." and he paused, muddling over the information. "-His body was trying to get him to breathe which lead to the constrictions relaxing and the blood getting into his lungs?" Blinking rapidly he missed the impressed notice his lover was taking in him as he brought his hands up grasp his head in mock distress. "God, that makes my head hurt."

"For someone who's never been to a medical class-" Raidou began, humbling giving out praise when called for. "It's remarkable you could make sense of that."

Hearing the boost about his summarization Genma took on a look of smug achievement dropping his hands to his hips. "See babe? I told you I don't need to go to those things. I'm smart!"

Deadpanning Raidou coughed into his hand and stated dryly. "That's not what I said."

"Yeah whatever. You know I'm awesome." The brunette banished, the jab at his intelligence sliding off his ego with considerable ease.

Rolling his eyes Raidou nodded his head in mock agreement before turning back to the body. "Of course. Now can we back to the autopsy?" The scarred detective took his bottom lip between his teeth and started nibbling on it, tugging at it's slightly chapped surface. "None of this helped clear up anything. All we know his how he died which unfortunately is not proof that Naruto didn't do it."

"So what do we do?" Genma sobered a fraction.

"We just have to hope that Kiba and Sarge found something. Or Izumo and Kotetsu were able too."

"And if they haven't?"

"We're fucked?" Raidou asked as if it were a fact, the statement sending Genma in a forced fit of laughter.

"If I got fucked every time someone got murdered I'd be out right now shooting someone down."

"That's not even funny Genma." Raidou let out a long and suffering sigh at his boyfriend's idiocy.

"Hatake would have found it was funny."

"Kakashi's not exactly morally intact." Raidou frowned.

"When I tell him you said that I hope he makes you work the desk for a month."

"Fine. When that happens you know that I'll be abstaining until my punishment it over. You shouldn't worry though. You just go kill somebody right?"

Genma gave a gasp at the turn the banter had taken and made a quick subject change, ignoring his partner's satisfied and smug look. "Anyway...I guess we should be going since we still need to meet up with Izumo and Kotetsu and see what they got from the mom."

"There's actually more I still have to explain to you two." Shnio offered after a few moments of listening to them, his statement making his companions both stop in their tacks to send him long scrutinizing looks.

"And what's that?" Raidou demanded with a polite needle, turning to give the young doctor his full attention.

* * *

"Ma'am please. We just need you to answer some questions." Izumo Kamizuki pleaded in a calming manner from the door step of the Abumi household. He valiantly fended off the cold look from a very distressed Fubuki Abumi, who was hidden partly behind her paint-chipped door as he jabbed an elbow into the ribs of the man next to him in order to provoke another, similar comment to aid him.

Kotetsu Hagane knit his brows in a wince, snapping "Ow, watch it." and then giving a tense smile to the poor woman, trying to seem reassuring in the face of such a delicate situation. "We're only asking for a moment of your time. It's important to the investigation."

"I was already informed that you know who killed my son. What else could there possibly be for me to answer?" Was the hostile bark, the woman's voice an unusual tenor. The accent was hard to place, but there was a definite fading of oriental decent. Not that it wasn't already clear by her physical appearance that she was from somewhere in the Pacific.

Taking quick side glances at each other Izumo and Kotetsu furrowed their brows at the poor woman. "Ma'am, we have no idea who gave you that information, but thats not the case. We have a one suspect as of last night, but nothing solid to tie him to it. Please may we come in? We just need you to answer a few things and we'll leave."

"Fine!" she barked again, slamming the door. After a brief silence the sound of a lock being viciously undone and some heavy object being moved was heard in muffled intervals. Izumo and Kotetsu stared dumbly at the door and gave heaving, simultaneous sighs at the absurdity of the situation. In the next following moments the door was slowly opened again reviling a tiny Japanese woman with a scowl on her face and a redness around her eyes that was from the considerable amount of crying she must have been doing in the last few hours. Her appearance was worn and tired. She probably hadn't slept since the night before either and at the moment she looked like she could die and not bat an eyelash.

"Come in." She said in a dull whisper, keeping her eyes pinned on both of them even when she moved to the side to allow them space to enter.

They hesitated a second giving each other looks of apprehension before taking some tentative steps into the Abumi home. In all respect it was a nice, quaint little house with a rundown coat of pale paint on the walls but nice flowery furnishings that gave it homey feeling. Lacking the structure of a Japanese style home the house seemed very much American, but the woman had certainly kept the traditional setting the same on the inside. A modest amount of ornaments littered the living room they were lead into and with some considerable resolve all three of them took a seat at the table that laid in the middle of the room. Maintaining tradition there were no chairs and in their stead were seating mats leading both men to plop down and forcing them to sit with their legs tucked under them so they could both comfortably sit together opposite of their host.

Already set out on the table was a white china pot with a cherry blossom design and a cup of cooling green tea. Neither man acknowledged the fact that it wasn't for them and when their host made no move or sound as to inquire if they would like anything they were only too happy to dismiss it. They didn't want to be here either and any excuse to shorten the stay was welcomed.

Izumo was just about to open his mouth and start his questioning before Mrs. Abumi wrapped both hands around the base of the cup and with short and tense movements brought the rim to her mouth, tipping the cup and making a show of taking a long, slow sip of her tea. Deterred by the rudeness he fished his notepad out along with a pen, laying them down on the table to wait. As frustrating this was going to be he and Kotetsu would just have to be patient no matter what. The poor woman had just lost her son only hours ago and her behavior was understandable.

Kotetsu on the other hand didn't share his partners reserve because frankly them being there would not help her deal with the pain. If anything the more time they spent in the Abumi home the more she was forced to remember things about her son that she would rather just lock away forever. "Ma'am could you please explain to us what made you think anything had happened to your son yesterday?" Next to him Izumo sighed and grabbed his pen, ready to write.

Mrs. Abumi didn't bother replying until her cup was sitting back on the tabletop and her eyes were glaring at the two men across form her. "He'd been acting strange until he left to go see his friends. Said he was just going to do some shopping. When it got late and he didn't answer his cell phone I thought something must've happened because he never turns off his cell phone and he never misses any of my calls_." _

"How was he acting that you thought it was strange?" Izumo asked, looking up now.

Hands clenching at the small ceramic cup Mrs. Abumi frowned down at her tea with a thoughtful look in her eyes. "He'd been nervous- jumpy. Everything he said was a stutter and he'd been vague on what his plans for the day were. It sounds like a stupid reason to worry, but he'd forgotten to wish me a good morning when he woke up and he never said a word during breakfast and hardly ate. I couldn't understand it. It's been almost seven years since I've had to deal with those mood swings teenagers are so famous for." And with a startling quickness a sad look clouded her face. "But seven years ago it had just been phase. Now-" She cut herself of as tears began to form at the corners of her eyes making both men wince and avoid eye contact. She made no move to wipe them and obviously distraught kept her eyes glued on her drink.

It was silent for a while, Kotetsu and Izumo seeing no reason to push for that to change. They waited for her to calm down and finish what she was going to say.

"This time I didn't know what was going on." She mumbled finally, bowing her head. "Before he left the house he hugged me and gave me a kiss...told me he loved me. The smile on his face was sad I just knew something bad was going to happen."

"We're very sorry for your loss." Kotetsu said almost mechanically. He hadn't meant for it to sound so robotic , but after your first few murder cases you learned to either keep yourself detached or spend the rest of the case sitting at your desk, useless and depressed.(2)

"No, you're not. This is just a job for you men." She accused, looking up now, but with a lacking venom. The way she said it was more an observation then her version of an insult. "I understand your need to give condolences, but you didn't even know my son. I'd appreciate that any false feelings you may have you keep to yourselves."

Despite it's tone the remark had stung Kotetsu hard, causing the him to shift uncomfortably on his mat. "I'm sorry."

Izumo, who had bit back the instinct to defend his partner, felt a little uneasy at how the older brunette had reacted to that. In all honesty if anyone could understand what Mrs. Abumi was going through it was Kotetsu. He gave the woman a cold glare, but was quick to emend himself, knowing that she was just looking for someone to blame- someone to hurt just so she wouldn't have to be the only one. "Just a few more questions ma'am." He heard himself say getting the attention of their host.

Picking up his notepad Izumo flipped over some pages. "Were you aware that your son was part of the Akatuski? Or that he was connected to them in anyway?"

"No." She answered quickly, her reply clipped. If one gave it more thought it almost sounded offended.

"Yesterday before he was murdered did he tell you he was going to be doing?"

"He said that he was going to be out the whole day with friends, shopping, like I said. And also promised he's be home before eleven. Other than that I know just about as much as the police do." She said and took another sip of her tea.

Sighing at the response Izumo put down his pen and frowned. "Did he mention having to do anything else important this week? In passing maybe he mentioned something big?"

Mrs. Abumi frowned back. "No."

"Alright then. Did his friends mention anything?"

"No."

"Do you happen know which friends he went to go see yesterday?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" He ask as politely as he could.

"The only one I remember him invite is Doku. He was my son's closest friend."

"Could you give us a number?"

"Yes, I could." And after that it became very quiet. It became clear that Mrs. Abumi was not going to make this easy and with yet another sigh Izumo prodded gently while trying to keep the frustration out of his voice.

"And that number would be...?"

"One. Three, four, seven. Eight, six, two. Three, eight, nine, four."

Jotting the number down quickly Izumo nodded again and continued. "Have you been in contact with him since the murder?"

"No."

"May I ask why?"

"No." And just like that she was back to being uncooperative.

"Mrs. Abumi your son's friend could have some information and you haven't contacted him?"

"No. Finding out who killed my son is _your_ job." She snapped back, sounding bitter.

"But it could put the person who killed him in jail. How can you sit there and not want justice, or even to help us?" Kotetsu interrupted, his featured conflicted between sadness and outrage.

"Because he's dead and no matter how many people you put in prison for it he's never going to come back!" She finally broke, reaching out to take a tissue from a box that sat next to her. Placing it gently under her nose she gave a sniff and almost choked herself on a sob. "Please. Just finish with your questions and leave."

Izumo took a long intake of air, a huffing exhale and looked over at his partner with tired eyes. "No, it's alright ma'am." He said, slowly turning to gaze back towards the woman in front of him who was trying to hold back a fresh wave of tears. Lifting himself up from the ground he brushed his coat of any invisible dirt and spoke softly "We'll just be leaving now." There was nothing that was going to get accomplished at this point.

"Izumo..." Kotetsu began, standing up.

Interrupting the other brunette Izumo stuck his notepad and pen bag into his pocket and said. "Thank you for your time ma'am."

"But-" She started, and was stopped by a wave of her guest's hand.

Kotetsu and Izumo made their way out of the living room. "It's alright. We actually have somewhere we need to be."

Mrs. Abumi nodded and followed after them, quietly escorted them to the door; her body language dejected and her feet dragging against the carpet. She politely rushed forward to open the door for her guests against her inner turmoil and held it open for them as well.

Both detectives calmly walked out of the house, handing the woman a card from their pockets and with a small bow to her, stepped off the porch with some parting words. "We're sorry for taking up your time ma'am. Please give us a call if you happen to remember any other of your son's friends."

"Of course." She agreed. "And I am sorry officers, I just can't...I can't deal with all this right now. Please," she said and sent Kotetsu a heartbroken look. "I do want to help. If you need anything else just let me know." Her features were contorted with shame as she brush a stray lock of midnight black hair from her face.

Soften by her apology both men gave her small, uneasy smiles in return. "We understand Mrs. Abumi. We'll be keeping in touch and making sure to let you know how the investigation is going." Kotetsu offered. He nodded to her and said "Goodbye." stepping over to their car and getting into the passengers side.

"Have a good day." Izumo said after, opening his side of the car.

She thanked him and waited until he was in the car before backing into the house and closing the door. With her out of sight both men relaxed. Kotetsu pinched the bridge of his nose briefly and bending forward, digging around for his water bottle while Izumo started up the car and pulled out into the street. With a turn to the left on the next street they were off back to the station.

"Well, that could have gone better." Kotetsu joked without humor shifting around to get comfortable in his seat.

"Yeah, it could have." Izumo agreed.

"So what now? We got nothing."

"It's not 'nothing' Kotetsu. Maybe the friend has some information."

Kotetsu pouted at that. "Yeah, just like the mom did, right?"

"Be nice. Losing a son tends to put anyone in an unfavorable mood." Izumo chastised. "Besides we'll have to call her in either way so we can get a statement. Don't be so insensitive."

"I'm not being insensitive. She was the one making things difficult."

"She lost her son. Give her a break."

"I lost my mom. You don't see me taking it out on other people."

"Kotetsu." The older brunette stressed in a tired voice. "That doesn't even border on fair. Your mom's been gone for years and she _just _lost her son."

"So what? I still think she could have been more cooperative." Kotetsu whined, crossing his arms.

Izumo sighed letting one arm drop onto the armrest. "You have to learn to be more patient."

"Here's a thought. I'll be patient and next time you don't let her off so easy." The younger brunette growled. "We got nothing because you had to play the boy scout. Patience doesn't gather evidence for us you know."

"Don't be so heartless!" Izumo exclaimed, frowning. "And didn't we just establish that we that we did get something."

Taking a swig of water Kotetsu leaned back in his seat. "You know Iruka's gonna flip that we didn't get anything from her."

"Do I need to get you some Q-tips Kotetsu? We got the friend's number. How much more do you want from the poor woman?"

"Some more information on the son would have been nice. But no. You had let her push us around."

And for a while silence presented itself, Izumo not willing to justify his friend's childish mannerisms with even the smallest comment. The younger brunette sat back and fidgeted with his water bottle with nothing else to do but watch the street pass by in a distorted picture.

After some time Kotetsu nerves finally got the better of him and he asked. "Why did you make us leave anyway? "

Izumo sighed. "Like you said, she was hardly being cooperative. Staying their any longer would have ended up a disaster. You should be thanking me for getting us out of there."

With a roll of his eyes and an exaggerated flip of his hand Kotetsu took a mock bow in his partners direction. "Oh, thank you Great Detective Izumo. On behalf of all of at the NYPD's seventeenth precinct we just want to say we appreciate your ability at gathering no_ useful _evidence." And he sat back with a laugh at the look of frustration that frittered across Izumo's face.

Hand formed into a tight fist Izumo took his eyes off the road a moment and lifted his arm from the armrest, giving the other man a good punch on the arm. Rewarded with a yelp from his partner the older brunette went back to watching the road with a grunt. "I find it hilarious what a hypocrite you are. If you thought we should have stayed longer you should have said something. Idiot." Sometimes he believed Kotetsu just liked getting into arguments with him.

"Son of a bitch!" Rubbing his arm with dramatic movements Kotetsu shifted farther towards his window. "Yeah! Make me out to be the bad guy. What was I supposed to do? Tie you down while I drilled her some more? Dirty bastard." He muttered sarcastically and looked down at his arm with a pitiful whimper. "God damn Izumo. That hurt!"

"It's what you get for being such a smart ass." Izumo scolded without remorse.

"That was so unnecessary." Came the offended sniff from the injured detective.

"Depends on what your definition of 'unnecessary' is." Replied the other in an offhanded manner.

"Since you asked!" Kotetsu growled. "It's having someone punch me for correctly pointing out that we got _nothing_."

"Ugh! You are so immature!" Izumo complained finally pulling into the station's parking lot and applying the brakes with more force then would ever be needed. Both men lurched forward in their seats; Kotetsu inches away from kissing the windshield because he had been less prepared for the stop.

"Now who's being immature?!" Screeched Kotetsu, glaring poison-tipped daggers at his partner.

Izumo threw his arms up and almost ripped his keys from the cars ignition, the roar of the engine dying away as he pulled on the handle of the door and half-kicked his way out of the car. "You are such a bastard." He shouted, his head under the door frame to meet his partners eyes before ducking back out to slam the door.

Cringing at the sound of the bang Kotetsu let out a frustrated groan and got out of the car, making sure that it was locked before closing his own door. He watched Izumo stomp his way into the precinct, his partner's dark mutterings making everyone in the vicinity shy away from the murderous looking detective.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Shouted Kotetsu, hands cupped around his mouth to amplify his voice.

"As far away from you as I can get!" Was Izumo rude shout back.

Kotetsu then followed without hesitation and took on a jogging pace to catch up with Izumo, who was walking briskly through the double doors to the station's main lobby. The angered brunette heeded to none of Kotetsu cries to stop or to wait which bothered the younger detective and motivated him to yell louder and more obscenely, grabbing the attention of everyone around them, but the man he was trying to get to and who was purposely ignoring him. They weaved around people and desks, pushing to get pass; one trying to escape and the other trying to follow, but every time Kotetsu sprinted to trap his partner someone would cut across his path, giving the other man an opportunity to get away.

"Izumo! God dammit, would you slow down?!" Kotestu yelled, shoving another officer out of his way.

The angry detective shouted back over his shoulder again. "No! I have _nothing_ to say to you!" And he kept on narrowly avoiding Kotetsu at every turn.

This continued for several more minutes but, finally able to catch up with his disgruntled friend in the hallway leading to the investigation room Kotetsu roughly latched onto the other brunette's arm and swung him around to make eye contact. "Jesus, get a grip Izumo." He commented, his breath coming out in small pants.

Izumo on the other hand was completely short of breath, but more out of anger then his attempts at escape. It did nothing to quell his energy though and in a valiant effort to shake his partner from his arm he struggled back and kept his eyes narrowed in furious glare. "Let go, jerk!" He bit out, failing somewhat, trying to loosen his partners grip enough so he could slip away. It proved unless in the end when Kotetsu's other hand encased his own free arm and tighten around it like a vice. He winced and just tried harder, Kotetsu being forced to pin him up against a wall so it was more difficult for him to fight.

"Izumo, relax! Why are you so worked up about this?" The younger brunette questioned as calmly as anybody could with an armful of an angry cop who had remarkable marksmanship.

"Just let go, dammit." Izumo snapped, jerking backwards and unfortunately unable to get anywhere in doing so, still up against the wall.

"Fine. You don't wanna tell me what your problem is?" Kotetsu asked in a low voice, condescending and with warning. His brows furrowed and the corners of his mouth tipped down in a frown at the look of pure disdain he got from his friend. "Have it your way. You can stay in the janitor's closet till you feel like talking." He declared, letting go of Izumo's left arm and reaching out to a door handle less then five inches away. Jerking the door open with his hand twisted to unlatch the lock he gave a hard shove with his right hand to his brunette partner's side and had him through the door without much effort seeing as how Izumo was stunned at the prospect at being locked away in a closet.

"H-hey! What the fuck are you doing?!" Izumo sputtered momentarily taken aback but having enough sense to attempt to walk back out only to have a hand land on his chest that shoved him right back in roughly. The door was closed in his face and he was at a lost at what to do. He spent a few second staring at the door with an open mouth and shocked, wide eyes before he stepped forward and tried to get out again. Trying the handle of the door it turned without problem which meant it was unlocked still, but when he went to push it open he found a heavy weight settled across it's surface making it impossible to move it more then an inch before it slammed back closed.

A moment later the booming voice of Izumo Kamizuki could be heard throughout the entire precinct.

"You bastard! Let me out or I'll make you swallow everyone of your own teeth!" He threatened with a fist banging against the door for emphasis on each word. He tried to push his way out again and again, upper body pressed on the door for strength while his feet slid on the floor as he tried to gain some friction to aid him. Cruelly the door only moved the same distance away from the door frame again and once again it slammed in his face causing him to kick at it in a frustrated rage. "I swear to god Kotetsu! Let me out!"

"Tell me why you suddenly developed PMS and I will." Came the muffled reply from the other side, sarcastic and serious at the same time.

"I do not have- Ugh! Would you just let me the fuck out?" Izumo said, keeping up his mission for escape, unsuccessful every time he made to force his way pass the door but was kept in by the combination of Kotetsu's body weight and his own push against it.

"Sounds tempting, but no."

"You have some nerve, you know that? Now let me out!"

"You've been in there for almost a whole half a minute now and I still haven't heard an answer to my question."

"That's because I don't want to give you one. I'm getting really sick of this Kotetsu. Let me out, alright?" The trapped brunette stated as composed as he could. He let his head hit the wall as he let out a sigh, his hand smacking his side of the door repeatedly but with no serious force behind it.

"Just tell me what the deal is."

"I said no! What part of that doesn't make sense to you?"

"That part where you want to get out, because until you tell me your going to be sniffing Windex."

"Your unbelievable! You put me in this a closet and you actually think something other than _this _is my problem."

"You were like this before I put you in there." Kotetsu pointed out.

"So what?! Putting me in here is not going to make me more unwilling to share anything but a bullet with you."

"This is becoming a circular conversation. I'm not letting you out until you tell me what's wrong so maybe you should just fess up so I can let you go. Honestly I'm getting tired of standing in front of the janitor's closet."

"You're getting tired? You're getting tired?!" Izumo's anger suddenly flared again.

"Yes, I'm getting tired. I think my shoulder is numb."

"I'll kill you!" And with a new found reason Izumo slammed the entirety of his body against the door hearing Kotetsu yelp and fall back with a satisfying thud. "You god damn asshole. You better let me out or I'm going to murder you!"

"That's some language for an officer of the law." Kotetsu goaded with a breathless laugh.

"You are going to be so sorry when I get out of here."

"I'm actually pretty sorry that I put you in there at all."

Giving pause at the strange statement Izumo frowned and asked, with some hesitation "Why? Finally realized your a dead man?"

"No, it's kind of because the janitor is giving me this look and it's freaking me out."

"...You idiot! Let me out!!"

"Not until you fess up. Jeez. Now who's the one who needs some Q-Tips?"

"You're going to need extensive surgery when I get out of here."

"Somehow I doubt it."

"Oh really?!" And Izumo slammed himself against the door again, this time getting no farther then his first attempt. In a horrible mood he gave up and continued yelling instead in the hope he'd be able to wear his partner down with a good long lecture on what a jerk he was being. "God dammit. You are so immature it's amazing your allowed to even have a job. You really have some nerve you self-centered-..."

And from there Kotetsu's mind began to wander. He wasn't going to get his answer now. Maybe not for a while, but experience taught him that letting his partner vent was the best course of action. With nothing more to worry about while the other brunette was talking Kotetsu relaxed against the door and let his thoughts drift. He could only guess at why his partner was this upset. Arguments between them hardly ever got this far so something today was bugging Izumo more than he was willing to share, which was just aggravating the situation.

"Hey Kotetsu!" A strong male voice called from a distance beyond the closet door.

Genma and Raidou came walking down the hall towards their colleague. "What's up?" Genma asked in short greetings.

Looking up and seeing his friends Kotetsu smiled a friendly grin and gave a short half-wave. "Nothing much man, just hanging out. You?"

Genma grinned back and wiggled the folder in his hand. "Heading down to talk to Hatake. We got some cool stuff we need to report. Then back off to the streets."

Kotetsu gave them a half-pout. "Ah. Good you found something. The mom was completely unhelpful and sent us out with just a number to some friend. Like _that's _anything to worth coming back with."

"That's disappointing. Sorry." Was the sentiment from Genma, his voice showing no signs of real remorse.

"Yeah, sure you are mister _we got some cool stuff to report_." Kotetsu goaded in a playful and sarcastic way.

Silence stemmed from momentarily surprize Izumo sputtered at his partners audacity to start up a conversation without so much as a thought to the man locked up behind him. Kicking at the door and yelling loud enough for the whole city to hear him he cursed for his partner to let him go. "Kotetsu! What the fuck are you doing?! Let me out!"

"Woah!" Exclaimed Genma, jumping from the suddenness of the noise. "Is that Izumo?!" He wondered out loud and without waiting for an answer he walked up to the door, stood next to Kotetsu, and gave it a few knocks while pressing an ear to it. "Izumo?"

"Get me out dammit!" Shouted the muffled voice of the mentioned detective, his tone one of unrivaled fury.

Genma jumped and next to him Raidou took on a look of confusion and exasperation. "Why in the hell is Izumo in the janitor's closet?" He questioned.

Giving his colleagues a sheepish smile while earnestly fending off the danger behind him Kotetsu laughed a bit nervously as he said. "He said liked the smell of cleaning products?"

The comment made Genma and Raidou roll their eyes and caused Izumo to fly back into a heated rage. "That's it! Let me out or I'm going to start shooting through the door." And at the threat the sound of an automatic hand-held gun could be heard having it's safety removed.

"Uh...I think you should let him out now Kotetsu." Muttered the long-haired detective as he, inconspicuously as he could, stepped behind his boyfriend. _I'm too pretty to die._ He thought to himself ignoring Raidou's sharp gaze and annoyed shake of the head.

"That would defeat the purpose of putting him in there in the first place, now wouldn't it?" The man pressed against the door reasoned, pushing back as hard as he could to keep his partner from getting out.

"He sounds pretty mad." Raidou pointed out, becoming increasingly concerned by the sounds coming from inside the small room. Izumo was sill cursing but over his insistent banging and slamming on the door it was unintelligible.

"That's because he is pretty mad." Laughed the perverted man, sending his friend a mocking smile. "Having fun, Kotetsu?"

"Oh yeah." The other man inhaled deeply with exhaustion, turning to give the door a sour look, mentally blaming it for not having a lock. "It's almost as fun as finding a needle in my food." He said turning back to his friends with a sigh.

"Compared to what I'm going to do to you when I get out a needle in your food will be the least of your worries." Threatened the captive detective, his words making his partner consider running for his life at that point. He sent his friends a beggars look and was distraught to see them make no move to save him.

"Guys, help me out here."

"Um. I think we're just going to let you two work this out by yourselves." Smiled Genma as he grabbed onto his boyfriend wrist and started tugging him down the hallway. "When you guys are done fighting meet us at Hatake's office for reporting." He ordered of his shoulder.

"Hey! Wait. Help me you guys!" Kotetsu pleaded, watching them go as if they were his lifeline.

"Sorry. I don't wanna be around when Izumo finally gets out." Raidou answered for them and now followed his boyfriend down the corridor, heeded to none of his colleague's words.

"Traitors!" Kotetsu called, bothered by had they ignored him and turned the corner without another thought to him and his situation.

"Kotetsu!" Came Izumo's angry voice again, making him cringe.

"Yes?" Kotetsu said, tone sugar sweet.

"Want to let me out yet?"

"What happens if I say no?"

"Are you honestly willing to find out?"

"That's a trick question isn't it?"

"God! Just let me out. This has gotten so ridiculous. We need to report in."

"Would you just let me know what's wrong then?" Kotetsu whispered, greeted by the sound of nothing. Izumo didn't answer him and probably hadn't even heard him if that was the case. "Izumo?" He called again, louder.

"Yeah?" Came the dejected response.

"Gonna let me know what's wrong?"

There was a dull thud against the metal of the door behind him while at the same time Izumo let out a large and exaggerated sigh with his forehead pressed to the metal. "No. I don't want to talk about it now."

"Later?" Kotetsu prodded.

"Maybe later." The other agreed.

"Maybe?"

"Yes, maybe. Now just let out of here. It smells like window cleaner and despite what you say, no, I don't like it."

"Alright...I'm going to let you out, but put the safety back on your gun first." And listening through the door Kotetsu waited for the click from his partners gun before he eased himself away from the door and opened it. Izumo walked out of the closet and just started down the hall in the same direction at Raidou and Genma. He didn't look at Kotetsu and just headed towards their boss's office his face tilted toward the ground.

Walking to catch up with the other brunette Kotetsu wisely kept to himself and just followed along. If he was truthful with himself he had been scared his partner was going to hurt him, but just because he hadn't gotten his punishment now didn't mean he wasn't going to get it at all. He dreaded the end of his shift now. Going home with Izumo was going to be the death of him...literally.

When they finally did reach reach their captain's office they where surprised to find said captain rushing out of it, towards them in a hurried, frantic pace. Their captain's face was pale and drawn and he looked haggard, ready about to fall over from the weight of his problems.

Both detectives jumped when Kakashi barreled between them without a single acknowledgment and just kept down to the hall. They looked after him with some concern, but decided to follow anyway, stepping into line with Genma and Raidou, who were looking just as worried and confused as they felt.

Kotetsu, ever the more curious at the turn of events, asked. "Captain? What's going on?"

The silver-haired man ignored the question and when it became clear that there would be no answer Genma took it upon himself to explain. "We don't really know either, but he said something about Iruka down at the cages. Other than that he won't say." (3)

"So...Kakashi? Wanna fill us in?"

When the statement failed to gain any sort of response again the four detectives eyed their captain with some reproach. Kotetsu coughed uncomfortably at the silence. "Kakashi, what's going on? Is Iruka in trouble?" He asked again, ignoring the looks he got from his friends.

Kakashi ignored it once more and kept on briskly making his way down the precinct halls. They all finally slipped into a respective hush now, not wanting to cause a stir.

The walk lasted for a sum of eight minutes and in that time Genma found himself getting slightly worried again. Seeing his captain and friend of eleven years suddenly so tense made him uneasy. Kakashi was the first to the door, but before wanting to let him go through Genma asked once more. "What's going on Kakashi?"

Hand stopped in mid turn of the door knob, the police captain gave his men a troubled grimace. "Naruto's been arrested." He said slowly the words tasting disgusting in his mouth. Turning away and without saying anything more he crossed into the next room, leaving four utterly stunned detectives in his wake.

* * *

(1) Anyone wondering why, if Zaku drowned, he didn't present with any choking or failing, like you would normally see when someone is drowning, it's because he lost consciousness before any of that could happen. XD Sorry, I just felt that I need to explain that because some people might go "But! You didn't say he drowned in the first chapter." Nope. I left that out for dramatic affect. If anyone saw that coming I'll give you a cookie...Oh. Looks like I can keep them all! MWAHAHAHA!

(2) To clear that up, just for anyone a little "Wtf"-ish. If you're a cop and you get emotionally involved in a case then it's better if you're taken off. Emotions cloud people judgment and if a cop can't be objective then they can do their job properly. Which is true for any profession that deals with the lives of other people. Doctors, lawyer, ect. Course there are always exceptions and limits so just so we're clear. I'm not saying that you have to be a heartless bastard to be any other those things...It just helps. XD

(3) Cages- It's what I call the holding cells in police stations. Just get familiar with the saying, because I'll be using it in the future. XD Plus I can just imagine cops using that term. :3

**Plushie StickyNote:** I just want to make one thing clear. YES! I KNOW there was no SasuNaru. And I know that's what people want, but I really wanna do this my way. I guess it must be dissappointing but I promise. I PROMISE. I'll make up for it. I reallllllly wanna get to their relationship too ya know? You all just gotta give me a break. The story is important too. Anywho. Cliffhanger on the autopsy report and of course next chapter ya'll get to find out why Naru-chan is getting locked up. Hope you all liked it and reviews will be very much appreciated. Loves ya!

**Quote:** "Jesus may walk on water, but Chuck Norris can walk on Jesus."

©2007 Ruby Plushie


	9. Guilty or Not Guilty

**Disclaimer:** All I own is my creative genius...As you might gather from how original the characters are. ;)

**Warning:** It's Yaoi. Try to stay dry.

**Plushie StickyNote:** C'mon. You guys didn't actually believe I'd leave you hanging forever? Hmmmmm? Just long enough, you know...I needed you guys desperate. So...umm. Yeah. Iunno where I'm going with this. I've just been having a really busy year. Basketball and theater, plus eight classes and worrying about college made this chapter really hard. I'm sorry for the wait honestly. Months ago I had already had eleven pages done...But I didn't wanna post till I got in the last part because...I was doing so much research on it. Didn't want all the work to go to waste. Anyway...Pllllllleeeeeaaaassssseeee forgive me? I promise not to do it again. 3...Oh! Before I forget. It's six in the morning and I haven't gotten a wink of sleep. I have school in an hour and so this is unbeta'd. I haven't even gone through once to see if any of the last pages make sense. It should be updated by tonight but for now I'm just too glad to have something to put up.

**Enjoy!**

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Guilty or Not Guilty

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The holding cell was a three by five square foot room at the hight of seven feet. Naruto stood in the center and made a few sweeps of the 'room', the feeling of dread creeping throughout every nerve of his body in a way that resembled the inching of a snail through peanut butter. The slow, tortuous motility of such an awful sensation was sweeping the layer under his skin cancerously, making it almost unbearable until it was all carried away by a wave of fear.

The walls were a glowing dingy off-white color and the floor a dark shaded gray that was littered with a variety of stains and spots; mostly gum that had flattened on the ground and covered by dirt after years of being stepped on and left uncleaned. The place was disgusting and Naruto imagined that if there was anyone out there that liked pale colored walls and dirt that this might actually be heaven; though he found it hard to believe that God would be that cruel to any one person.

The bars that were one of the four walls was painted a slickly ash and glimmered a dispassionate silver when under the bleak lighting. He felt like throwing up just to add some color to the place, which in turn probably would have made it smell better too. He wrinkled his nose in disdain at the thought and by pure will alone pushed back his reflex to gag on his own tongue

Finding his surroundings less than inviting Naruto let out a rumbling groan and sat down on the metal encased futon attached to the opposite wall; the same metal encased chiropractic nightmare the state of New York had deemed suitable for human use. Honestly. Just looking at it made his back hurt. Instead he just kept looking around, forcing himself not to curl up into a ball and scream for someone to save him.

There was nothing, in any way, striking about such a place other than that fact that no one would ever volunteer to step inside; not without a million dollars and maybe a brand new car as graft.

He kept looking around for something- _anything_, that wasn't part of the cell but gave up after his seventh spin, feeling like a fool while no closer to actually getting anywhere in his search. He realized at some point, and with great reluctance, that he being moronic. He, better than some shumck on the street picked at random, knew that there was nothing to see. At this point, even in his own cell he found no comfort in possessing even his personal space; which surely would have been invaded had he been given a cell mate.

Bored and frustrated, and with a pinch of desperation, Naruto quickly gave a heaving sigh, turned onto his other side and looked out through the bars.

"God dammit." He mumbled, mockingly met with the sight of even more bars on the opposite side, he threw his hands over his face and gave a small, defeated whine. "I hate this!"

Though, a shout greeted him in his misery, telling him kindly to "Shut the fuck up!" with a 'thud' against a wall, somewhere off a distance, as an accompaniment. Turning his back on the bars and onto his side he kept his hands on his face. He bent his knees and brought his legs up to his chest. He wasn't even up for muttering a response. So instead he thought one up one and mentally cursed the bastard for making this nightmare a reality with his verbal abuse. _'Fucking jerk.' _

An onlooker would be moved to pity at the tension wound tight in the blond's back and would probably offer a kind hand, despite the evidence to suggest they should arm themselves with a glock instead. The fact that he probably looked that pitiful made Naruto wince in shame and made him shift to lay on his back, one arm over his head while the other rested on top of his stomach.

He kept still for a few moments, bothered by the fact that he was being so fidgety. He couldn't even keep _that _position for more than a few minutes. It was pathetic.

He tried not to think about anything, which in turn lead him to think about just about everything he'd much rather see bury itself. He replayed his arrest in his mind again and again, haunted by the diminishing memory as each time some small detailed was altered, making the experience seem more horrible then it had actually been. Which, for the record, wasn't as horrible as most other people would recall the experience of being arrested.

* * *

Flashback

Assured to as not to worry Naruto had gotten down to the DA's office with a relatively eased mind. He'd watched the scenery fly by without really seeing the colors and shapes that molded together around him. He often told himself he loved car rides just because it was quiet and even though he wasn't do anything he was at least getting somewhere. It was like purgatory on earth.

When they, Sasuke and himself that is, had gotten there, and by 'there' he meant the DA's office, he'd walked behind Sasuke, hands up and across the back of his head, wandering down the familiar halls of the District Attorney's office, unfathered by the impromptu visit. He knew everyone was there deciding on what was going to happen next, but he wasn't sure what his role could be considering he couldn't tell them anything they didn't already know. He obviously didn't have anything new to tell them since he couldn't possibly have found new information sitting in a restaurant flirting with his new lawyer and he'd be damned if he said it out loud but that was about the gist of it.

Reaching Jiryara's designated office Sasuke had opened the door and Naruto had had the unrelenting urge to slam it back shut in his own face; broken nose be dammed. The moment his eyes came to gaze over the barest inch of the office a feeling a unrivaled dread crawled up on him like a drunk friend at a party looking for his car keys in his shirt. He'd stepped back with the thought that he'd much rather be back home snuggled under a blanket so the boogie man didn't get him; than be here for what would continue to be he worse day of his life. _'Oh God. Please no. I'm not here.'_

Looking up to see those dark brown eyes, watching him with such a heartbroken expression was unbearable. He had wanted to rip out his heart and feed it to the stupid pricks who had gotten him into this mess because in all honesty it would be a much better punishment for his non-existent crime than watching his loved ones go through this pain. Despite the morbid, yet satisfying, feeling to do exactly that he couldn't find the strength to jab his hand through his chest so he took to just mentally cursing the heavens and earths to a bloody bath in hell until Lucifer got bored; which one could not fault him for doing because spending an eternity bathing in fire alongside a pack of retarded monkeys had about as much appeal as a steak knife in the eye.

Still Sasuke had made it inside now, and there was no hope of saving him and so with a great deal of remorse Naruto sacrificed him to the office and it's occupants and instead had stood outside the door, looking around for a window he could strategically jump out of so as not to have to face his distraught-eyed god father, his distraught-eyed godfather's over-bearing boyfriend, a worried old man, Itachi and his psychotic ex-lover; who he'd find great joy in one day pushing off a cliff if only to rid the world of that insufferable smile.

He gave up on the notion of trying to escape however when Iruka rushed over and pulled him tight into a vice grip; sometimes labeled a 'hug' by people who actually enjoyed the deprivation of oxygen, which consequently made him stumble into the room and into sight of his friends, family, and hated ex.

They watched him without uttering a sound and he'd been left feeling like the main attraction at a zoo. All eyes were on him and there was a moment where his instinct for 'flight' took him and slapped him in the face for not getting away sooner.

It took him a moment to find his voice and when he did Naruto had been shocked by it's total lack of tact.

"What the fuck is going on? You all look like I shot a puppy and threw it at you." He'd said. realizing after he had said it that it wasn't the best choice of words or even the best tone to say it in; but at that point kindness could go right ahead and fuck off. He'd let the wide-eyed looks of surprise sink in as he had waited for someone to answer his question.

"Well...that was...um. Very..." Kakashi started to say, after a few moments of stumbling for his words, was cut off by a dismissive wave from Iruka.

"Naruto, it's just that I..." Iruka paused a second, nipping the inside of his cheek in frustration. "What I mean to say is..._We _all thought it was best if we let Jiraya go ahead and prosecute for now." Iruka looked up at him with a sincerely mournful look and Naruto just stared back at the rest of them like he'd been given a high dose of dopamine and they were the guys who'd given it to him.

Naruto heard himself speak and in an oddly comforting and detached fashion. "That means- you guys actually think I killed him..." His blue eyes had made their way around the room barely registering the trembling his body had began to exhibit.

"That's not what we're saying!" Iruka was quick to amend. He'd tightened his arm around his god-son and glanced over at Itachi for help.

And as clever as Itachi was he found himself at a loss of words at that moment. He reflected on his decision with some uncertainty as he watched Naruto's reaction. "That's not what we think at all." He muttered lamely, barely forcing himself to keep eye contact. Cool, calm and collected were all well and good when dealing with strangers, but it was made hard to act so aloof when a nice section of his heart was bent on protecting his blond friend.

Naruto had bit back the urge to snarl. "Then what are you guys saying?" He wanted to be nice about it, but couldn't find a shred of patience in his soul to subject himself to the stress of actually being nice anymore.

"We're saying we have a plan that'll keep you out of jail. Trust us." Sasuke had then interjected out of turn, deciding between either speaking up or letting this idiotic game of Twenty Questions go on until the next Ice Age. Frankly, not as enjoyable as it was made out to sound.

Glaring from the corner of his eyes Naruto kept himself from saying something he'd regret; especially after his little episode in the car with the younger attorney and took to throwing a great big sulk. He'd lowered his head and muddled over the information with a degree of begrudging acceptance. If Sasuke said he was going to be okay, he'd give his new friend the benefit of the doubt and hope that it didn't come to bite him in the ass later.

"Fine. So if this isn't because I'm guilty, what's the great big plan?" He'd growled, then taking a seat on the floor and crossed his arms, head tilted towards the ceiling in some show of childish defiance.

Itachi sighed and took a seat in front of the sulking man, legs tucked under him, with a dignified grunt. "Well let me first say this is very illegal." Never mind trying to talk dumb to Naruto Itachi knew, because despite his reputation he was a very bright kid and Itachi _knew_ better than to speak to him as anything but as an equal. He smiled with some renewed confidence when Naruto's blue eyes reflected his full attention.

Perked by a sentence that he never though he'd hear come from his raven-haired friend Naruto gasped without really meaning to. "Illegal?!" The word tumbled the expanse of his mind in spastic rhythm, trying to piece together with the thought of Itachi. His mind came up blank and not from lack of trying. He imagined the smallest of crimes and couldn't even picture his long-time friend 'borrowing' a pen and forgetting to return it.

Itachi nodded and had the decency to look a bit ashamed for what he was going to say next. "With Jiraya's cooperation we're going to get your case thrown out on a 'technicality'. Double Jeopardy will protect you from prosecution again."

There was a disgusted grunt from the corner but was followed by a silence that would make a pin drop think twice about breaking it. No one moved or made a sound, more than attentive; waiting for the blond's reaction. A stifling heat swirled in currents around the room, causing more than a few of the occupants a substantial amount of discomfort.

To his credit, Naruto, struck dumb, looked back and forth between his friend and God-father, making a firm effort to suppress his utterly shocked and marginally disappointed grimace, both, at the same time. His first thought had been how relived he was to have this way out, but letting it sink in he found himself less enthusiastic about it all the more and more he let the thought fester. He knew it was ungrateful of him to feel like that, but he'd always thought of these people as good, decent men, who'd always do the right thing; Sai not included; and he felt a strange sense of discontent hearing them so willing to throw away the image he held of them just so they could save his trouble-making existence. There was something offensively disorienting about being given this chance and finding it too dangerous to contemplate.

"No." He berated at some point during his internal struggle, fisting his hands, slowing the circulation in them until his knuckles where pale from the strain. He pressed his hands hard into the crossing of this arms and kept his eyes downcast, not mentally capable of keeping eye contact.

"No?" He heard Iruka question and even without seeing him, aware by just the sound of his voice his Godfather's was looking at him with those big chocolate brown eyes in complete distress.

Naruto nodded and brought his bottom lip between his teeth, intent on abusing it until it fixed all his problems. "No." He didn't know what a brick of lead felt like, but he imagined that weight in his chest was a pretty good estimation.

"That's not exactly the answer we were hoping to get from you Naruto..." Itachi frowned and shifted on his knees, an uncomfortable numbness creeping across his skin he falsely attributed to his position on the floor. "Why not?"

"Why?" Naruto snapped, his eyes coming to meet his friend's with barely contained acid. "Because it's illegal." Thinking he could make it make sense to them was impossible to comprehend, but at the very least he could solidify his cause verbally and say he _tried _ to convince them.

Itachi's frown deepened, fingers curling into the material of his pants. "Yes. It's illegal. Very illegal and we're all willing to do this for you."

"Well I don't want you to." Picking himself off the floor Naruto grunted, fingernails digging into the carpet with some resentment, before "I don't want any of you to get in trouble because of me."

Iruka focused on him with a look of pure desperation. "Naruto, please! Be reasonable." He, more than anyone, was going to take this the hardest.

"This is reasonable. I can't let you guys do this." And at a loss Naruto stood in the middle of the office, realizing in a moment that there was only one way out...

"Brat!" Jiryara finally spoke up, for the first time since Naruto had arrived. "This is very dangerous situation for you. Don't throw this opportunity away for no reason." He, who didn't condole this course of action to any degree, looked fiercely down upon Naruto's choice to be so ungrateful. Everyone else watched him for something more, but he was done with his thought so he eased back in his chair that he'd jumped out of in his flare of anger.

"So you're telling me that to save my ass I should let you all commit a federal offense?" Angst and in a tone that projected disbelief Naruto shook his head. "Did you all smoke a bunch of weed before I got here? Because you sound high."

"Show some respect Naruto!" Jiryara chastised, lacking bite this time; but, with nobody having anything to add in response an untimely silence perforated their eardrums for a few moments. Naruto looked at them as if he expected an answer, since he didn't justify Jiryara's shout as one, and they all stared back not able to come up with one.

After, for what seemed like a time much longer than any person could stand waiting, Naruto said something again, headed nodding with a disdainful shrug. "This is stupid." He moved back towards he door, one thought in mind. "I'll deal with this on my own, but thank you for wanting to help."

"Naruto!" Iruka jumped up and stood in front of his godson, watching his still back for when he'd turn to answer him; if he ever did. "What does that mean? You can't do this alone!" He brought his hands together and clasp them above his heart. "You can't."

"No, but you know I can take care of myself. Let me deal with this alone." Naruto'd said, grabbing the door handle, about to leave the office without looking back. Much to a growing frustration Naruto heard someone speak to him again, this time in a voice that would get the speaker in a lot of trouble. Pride and bravado kept him from being the bigger man, letting it go, and leaving.

"You know, I never imagined I'd say this, but for someone who bungee's himself off cliffs you're awfully cowardice." Sasuke, watching the situation progress, unfavorably, in front of him, found his sentence to hold more anger than he'd actually intended. Maybe it was empathy or maybe it was the sudden flare of protectiveness he had felt, but whatever the reason he'd argued with himself that he couldn't have let the blue-eyed man leave without trying he, himself to convince Naruto to stay. And to let them help him "Naruto."

"Would you just butt-out Sasuke?!" Naruto turned and even with the other five people in the room, he only focused on the young attorney, eyes narrowed with resentment. He'd actually really hoped the brunette would not try to stop him; he hadn't wanted to fight with him too. "You don't need to jump on the bandwagon too; I feel guilty enough."

Sasuke was about to retort, but Naruto cut him off, angry that he had to explain himself even more and that this was going to waste more time he didn't have. Plus, he needed to make clear that he wasn't being a coward...

"And I'm not a coward either! I'd like to think it takes more courage to go deal with my own problems than letting mommy and daddy fix it for me." He'd continued, motioning to his left at his God-father, who was still in a lot of emotional pain, and his friends. "I don't need you fighting with me for trying to keep them safe."

Sasuke wrinkled his nose in mild disgust, leaning back. Almost too calmly he said, "Safe? What part of getting into a fist fight with somebody sounds safe to you?"

Naruto held his breathe, surprised. "What the hell-...I'm not- "

Sasuke gave him a verbal smirk. It was a hollow, deep smirk dripping with the type of venom that paralyzed but didn't kill. "Don't insult me." Taking a step Sasuke stood in front of his client with a unmeasurable amount of grace and superiority. "Do you know why they say lawyers are snakes?

"It's because we're good at getting all the information we need to nail a person to the cross. I know a lot about you Naruto.." There was a smugness in his words that broke nerves in the blond no one knew he had.

There was a snort from Kakashi's on the other side of the room at the lawyer joke, but other wise the rest of the group wasn't interrupting at all. They knew that Sasuke could possibly be their last chance to get Naruto to agree to their plan.

"I know you enjoy fighting. You don't think someone will mess with you if you're tough; that you can protect your family physically, with no help from anyone." Watching Naruto for any reactions Sasuke continued his assessment of blond, undeterred by the wide-eyed stare and mouth half open in shock; careful to push at all the right buttons. "And now you want to do something stupid like this? Which will only earn you even more enemies?" He shook his head, 'tch'ing' with a flick of his tongue against the line of his front teeth. "It won't work. If you leave now you'll be charged with murder _and_ then sued for assault." Looking straight at the immobilize man Sasuke swallowed a condescending grin with some forced effort. "Because assuming you find the people who did this I doubt you'll get a confession the way you're planning."

Bringing to conclusion saying everything he'd thought would bother the blond enough to make Naruto rethink leaving Sasuke crossed his arms and stood, composed under the weight of his own words. What he got was less than he'd honestly expected. It was fair to say that he had taken huge liberties, but mainly no one would refute him on the bulk of his statement. Naruto was not quick violence above reason _but_ his fuse was the length of an expired candle to put it bluntly.

"That was a mouthful, but you're right about one thing." Naruto grumbled after a moment. Raising his right hand, fisted and white-knuckled, he brought it hard across Sasuke's cheek, the man's head snapped to the side. Sasuke was sent tumbling back onto the floor from the force. "You're right," he repeated, ignoring the whole room jump of surprise and Iruka rushing over to check over the fallen attorney. "I do enjoy fighting."

"Naruto! What the hell has gotten into you?!" Iruka shouted, helping the man in his arms into a sitting position. "Apologize to Sasuke right now!" And Naruto wouldn't have denied Iruka's request normally, but under the circumstances- i.e. Sasuke really deserving it- he felt a lot better for ignoring the command.

"Hmph. I'm not telling that bastard I'm sorry." Naruto spat, looking worn out, but still managing a pout nonetheless. It was for no other purpose than to relive frustration that Naruto had actually hurt the brunette. He held no malice towards him for his meddling now that he gave himself a moment to think about it. Sasuke was trying to help him...Help his friends and family. His only mistake had been that grin. That damn smug, beautiful quirk of the lips tinted by all the right words at just the wrong time.

From behind Itachi was the next to shout, looking between half outraged and half outraged. He'd rushed to his feet at some point during the exchange. "What do you mean you won't say sorry?! You just hit him! Are you crazy?" He glanced over at his brother to make sure he was okay, but let Iruka deal with the rest. He was too busy being shocked to really know what to do at that point.

"Because he's so damn smug." Clarified the blond, unhelpfully, who turned and looked down at the man who was currently rubbing furiously at his bruised cheek while unsuccessfully fending off Iruka's mothering. "You knew I wasn't going to leave if you said all that? Didn't you, you bastard?" He hissed the question without bite. Sasuke blinked up at him dumbly and he felt his heart melt a little more at the expression. The brunette had one hand on his abused cheek and was letting out small puffing, breaths of pain between spread lips.

He didn't know how to place to the feeling but he felt disruptively close to the man on the floor. He imagined that if he'd met the man years before they'd still be best friends now and for reasons he couldn't fathom it made his stomach lurch horribly; the knowledge that he didn't deserve such a good person for a friend, but as a child he probably held a better chance of keeping him around. Now, he'd bet his life that after it was all over Sasuke would be lost to him. Maybe he was just bitter that Sasuke probably never wanted anything to do with him after this was all over.

There was also something very ironic about the whole situation that Naruto could barely grasp, but if given the chance to evaluate the problem he's venture to guess that he was stuck on a plain of perpetual bad luck and the only way out was to rip a hole through time and space. Funny, considering they were running out of time to come to an agreeable solution and space was going to become a limited resource in his future if he didn't concede quickly to their's.

At the confession the room became silent again from curiosity and everyone turned back on the pair who'd held their attention for the last few minutes. Iruka, as did Itachi, Jiryara and Kakashi took on expressions of leveled relief and confusion. Sai on the other hand stayed in his same position, but pulled a phone from his pocket a bit sullenly; his expression changing from impassive to disdainful at the dispelling conflict. No one noticed him. Not when he began dialing and not when he started speaking softly into the receiver, articulating a few words before closing it with a flick of his wrist and a decisive 'snap'.

Stepping forward Naruto extended a hand out to the man he'd just assaulted, still very much sulking at losing this battle. "God damn...So manipulative."

Sasuke just smiled from his position on the floor, hand cradling his cheek and asked rhetorically. "I must be in the right business then, right?" He seemed content and took the offered hand without reservation. As he was levered back up onto his feet, he realized something humorous. Chuckling, he commented. "This is the second time in two days you've knocked me onto the floor. I hope this doesn't become routine."

Cracking a smile Naruto barked out a short laugh, dropping his hand away from the other's and lifting it to pat him on the shoulder three times in unison with his apology. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Pfft. Sure, whatever." Sasuke countered sarcastically, shrugging the blond's hand away in pretended offense. Of course it was hard to believe that he was actually mad when he was still splinting his face with a smile that wide. It hurt his cheek to smile, but he manged nonetheless.

"It's just how Naruto is Sasuke. He's always been a little _rough_." Kakashi intoned moments later, gruff laugh accompanying.

Naruto simply rushed over and slapped a hand over the police captain's mouth, angst."Oh my God!" He knew Kakashi too well to let him talk without proxy. "Sh! Keep whatever horror story about my sex life you're thinking up, _too yourself!_"

Prying his mouth from under the blond's hand Kakashi grinned. "But don't you remember James...and the Giant Peach?"

Naruto groaned and threw his hands over face. "God. Please shut up!"

"What the hell made you think that would work?" Itachi who seemed to gather that there was no reason to be outraged with Naruto earlier outburst, because no one else was, smiled innocently and helped along in the teasing without reservations.

Naruto wondered why did they always do this to him. He was convinced it was because it gave them a reason to slap their knees and laugh, which was made worse by the fact that it was a constant in his life that he'd bet money on without worry. They both lived to embarrass him- and apparently Sasuke too.

"Itachi!! Not you too!" The blush that dusted Naruto's cheeks left him with a sense of unmanliness; unease at that unmanliness.

"That's so imaginative, Naruto."

"Be quiet!!"

During the exchange Iruka brought Sasuke aside and gave him a hug. A motherly embrace that made the raven smile. "Thank you so much Sasuke." the older man mumbled into his shoulder. Stunned a bit at the friendly token of thanks Sasuke stood still, waiting for what Iruka would do next. When he finally leaned back, eyes trained right into his, the raven was proud to see Iruka seemed a lot more relaxed. His face shone with relief and grateful patience, hands dropping to squeeze his in a continuing gesture of appreciation. "If it weren't for you-"

Iruka raised a hand and held it softly against the young man's cheek, eyes becoming pained. "I'm sorry he hit you." He hissed as if he too had been punched.

Sasuke shrunk away from the touch with an uncomfortable smile and interrupted, tone soft. "It was nothing Iruka." But before he could complete his thought Naruto jumped in between them, seemingly frustrated.

Naruto put his arm on Sasuke's shoulder and leaned on it hard. "Hey! Don't ignore me." He stared Sasuke right in the eye, suddenly serious. "And I mean it. Anything bad happens and I'll punch you ever harder."

"Naruto! Don't say that!" Iruka banished in an exasperated tone. He knew his God-son was brash and very impersonal, but this level of familiarity made him suspicious...if not a little relived. It looked like Naruto had made another friend, but as easy as the task was for the blond why the hell was Naruto so companionable with a man he'd met only a day ago? From just meeting to meaningful, unconditional friendship was...odd. Right? It had to be unconditional if Sasuke wasn't more angry at being socked in the face like he had.

Friends from another life maybe?

"It's fine Iruka." And pulling the scared detective from his silent contemplation Sasuke smirked over at the blond man, smug. He'd twisted a knife, tipped with playful jabs, certain that Naruto's eyes would blaze with competitive fire. "You punch like a girl."

"That's not very insulting. You've obviously never gotten punched by my aunt." Naruto huffed, offhandedly seeming put out that he didn't have more solid evidence to convince Sasuke of his masculinity.

"He's right Sasuke. She's got a left hook that would frighten a brick wall. Not that- you know- a brick

wall would be stupid enough get in her way." Getting up from his seat Kakashi walked over to his boyfriend and grabbed him, two-armed, around the waist, jokingly protecting him from just the thoughts of the brutish strength one woman possessed. "She's a beast." Iruka leaned into the embrace and while he was resting his head on his chest the police captain turned his head to acknowledge Jiryara's amused commentary.

"Ha. Just wait until I tell her. Imagine the brick-wall right now covered in blood." Balancing back in his chair the elder attorney smiled with malicious humor and unforgiving enjoyment.

"I have a family to look after. I can't afford to die Jiryara." Kakashi countered, grinning. He tightened his hold on his boyfriend just in case he needed to make a quick exit_- just in case. _

Growling Naruto jumped in next to the pair and tried to pry his God-Father away from the perverted enemy. "Hey! Iruka doesn't need you to look after him. He's got me."

Grunting when the warm weight of his lover was ripped from his side Kakashi gave his blond 'nephew' a measured look of confidence. "What's wrong Naruto? Jealous?"

Naruto had always been very bad at sharing Iruka's time, but that was fine because he knew that all Naruto was doing was looking out for the welfare of his boyfriend. He would have found it more irritating really if it wasn't so comical to witness Naruto fail for an answer to his clever comebacks and besides, he was honestly never bothered by much; he'd decided ages ago that Naruto's antics fell into that category too.

"Of- of course not! I just don't like having a pervert like you all over Iruka!" Naruto was pouting again. "Dirty old man."

"My goodness. You two are a handful. Kakashi, stop teasing Naruto, you know he has a temper." Iruka sighed and sent his god-son a patient smile, patting him on the head, much like a child would a dog he didn't know would bite or not, knew how hard he could bite. "And Naruto, please. Be nice. You know very well Kakashi isn't old."

Choking on his impulsive response Kakashi let some annoyance flare in him. "I'm not dirty either!"

Very patronizing, Iruka huffed and crossed his arms. "Well, I never said you were."

"You didn't say I wasn't." The police chief countered.

"That's besides-" But before Iruka could finish his thought there was a clipped knock to the door, powered by authority and importance that boarded on hesitance.

While the rest of the room was stunned towards the sound, shooting inquiring glances around Sai practically leaped from his spot against the wall and skipped to the door. Now for somebody who didn't know what skipping was, it was the joyous, child-like corruption of walking that a little girl did on their way to get some ice cream, holding their mother's hand, humming happily tunes they'd heard watching Cinderella.

With horrified fascination they all watched Sai and his three skips to the door, frowns settling indefinably on all their faces. _Skipping._ He'd...He'd...It was just impossible.

No way- Right? Sai didn't skip...not Sai. Not Sai!...the Antichrist _didn't _skip. It must have been a spastic twitch...from being so evil. That_ had_ to be it. Evil leg twitch.

Right.

"Come in gentlemen." Sai's voice had taken on a musical note that twinkled with the horrors that would frighten that cute little girl going to get some ice cream into tears and had shivers bleeding down the spines of everyone in the room; even the newest additions.

"Thank you." The one on the left muttered, looking uncomfortable.

Kakashi took one look at the men at the door and barked out indignantly, but without meaning too."Excuse me, but why are you two here?"

The serious looking man to the right quickly recognized his boss and straightened his back "Oh. Captain Hatake, we didn't see you there. Hello sir."

Extremely at ends at seeing two of his subordinates here and apparently under invitation from Sai made his frown deepen into a scowl that translated unfavorably for the rest of the room. "Hello-"

End Flashback

* * *

"What?!"

Jolted from his memory Naruto wrote the shout off as a random fight between men in different cells starting. Followed by a crash he jumped at the sound. An abundance of odd, loud thumping noises followed and soon he pressed himself against the wall of his cell, watching what was inconceivably the strangest thing he'd ever seen grown man do...after skipping that is.

Racing down the thin strip of holding cells Genam Shinura peeked into each one, finding it either empty or occupied by a nameless face, before going onto the next. Seven cells down and too his right he found the object of his search. "Naruto!" He screeched, launching himself against the bars in a frantic leap.

"Holy shit! Genma." Naruto sat up and swung his leg over the side of his 'bed' and ran over to the bars, looking a million times better then he had moments ago. "It's good to see you." He smiled, mumbling truthfully.

"Naruto. My poor baby! They have you all locked up in this horrible place. Here, I'll get you out!" And reaching for the key ring in his pocket Genma was quick pulling them out in a flourish of jingles. Each key was decorated with a strangely, childishly themed 'Mon-key'- as the package had so appropriately called them-; each with a different color and a different face to distinguish one from the others. (2) The key that opened the holding cells, which Genma picked out in just a moment after shifting through all the keys at least once, had a gray monkey face on it. With x's for eyes, small marks so as to signify a deathly ill blush and a small pink tongue that peaked from the thin black line of it's mouth it was very befitting connotation to the metaphorical significance of a jail cell.

It was sad though. Before the key could even reach the keyhole both men heard, "Genma, no!" another voice yelling from behind. Raidou came jogging down the hallway but was only visible to Naruto three feet away considering he couldn't push his head through the bars enough to get a better look.

"What do you mean no? We have to get him out." Genam scowled at his lover, tossing him a pointed stare.

Raidou let a fleeting look of sadness to flicker across his eye before his gaze hardened. "That's not your choice to make." Turning to speak to Naruto the scarred detective wavered. "I'm sorry Naurto."

But before he could give his reasons Kakashi came walking down the hall, flanked by Izumo and Kotetsu. "It's okay Raidou." Grin wide with fake confidence he marched up to Naruto's cell with a pat to his friend's shoulder on the way. He wasn't sure if the gesture was for his own benefit or that of Raidou's, but it was comforting whatever the reason.

Reaching out he took the keys from Genma's grasp and unlocked the cell door, swinging it open at arm's length. "C'mon Naruto. Iruka worried sick about you." Handing the key's back to his friend Kakashi took a step back, giving his nephew space to get out before closing the door behind him.

"Why didn't he come down to get me then?" Naruto said stepping out of his cell, looking hurt and like he needed a hug from his mother.

"You know how he is. He hates being down here.." Shrugging, Kakashi headed out the door after locking the cell back up behind Naruto; his colleagues in tow. "And he's also down helping Itachi and Sasuke get your arraignment ready. He doesn't want anything to go wrong. We have to meet him there in a bit."

Taking the offered excuse with a roll of his eyes and his arms crossed over his chest Naruto gulped two heavy breaths and lingered behind the rest of the group as they headed out the room. Unsure of how to respond towards all of this he let his head hang a moment in resentment realizing for the millionth time that it had taken less than a day for his whole life to crumble out from underneath him.

As they walked Naruto contemplated suicide and not because he was suicidal, but because it seemed like the most reasonable way out. Some might have found the thought to be childishly selfish and stupid, but people considered suicide for much less than he was going through right now, so he felt just within his right to be stupid.

There was no real merit in it anyway. Beside caring to much for his family he was profusely scared of death and as such would never kill himself- or anyone else!

Wasn't that just the frosting on his irony cake? Imagine the terrors he'd been subjected to through the years because of his traumatic childhood and now having people with the god damn nerve to accuse him of those same traumatic actions? It's no wonder he wanted to die. What kind of asshole would he be though. He'd be no better than the men who'd stolen his parents from him.

Not looking where he was going Naruto snapped his head up at the sound of his name. "Naruto." He stopped walking reflexively and saw all eyes on him, worried and shifting around restlessly. Somehow the concern didn't register positively in his mind and his stomach dropped, making him feel trapped.

"Are you okay, Naruto?" Izumo held out a hand towards the blonds shoulder but didn't make contact out of respect for the personal space Naruto seemed to need. He dropped his hand after a moment not liking the look he received.

Holding his ground Naruto didn't flinch back, but manage to look like he'd been shocked by the question nonetheless. "Of course I'm not okay! What kind of question is that Izumo?" A growl wormed its way from his throat and he snarled; not mad Izumo for showing that he cared, but because he couldn't find something to care about anymore.

"Jesus, this is so fucked up. I mean; who else in the world has to go through this too?!" Failing his arms in some exaggeration of anger Naruto stomped his way through his friends and down the hall. On his way he slammed doors and kicked the legs of chairs not quick enough to move.

"Naruto! Calm down." Genma rushed to catch up with the raving man, on his way making sure to pick up a few fallen seats and to apologize to some colleagues. When he finally did manage to get into step with Naruto it was quick dash for the exit to keep him from leaving the building. "Woah woah woah, relax."

Naruto jerked back at the grip on his upper arm, trying to rip away with bite. "Relax? Can you imagine my life right now Genma? You fucking relax." Dear lord, why was he doing this?! He didn't want to be this mean to his friends. He just couldn't help it.

It all just bothered him _so _much.

"Hey, don't take it out on Genma. He's worried about you. We all are." Kakashi came up behind them with a stern frown set on his lips. He nodded to his friends and waved them off; lapping a hand on his nephew's back the police captain pushed him out towards the parking lot, hard shove causing the blue-eyed man to stumble into the heat of the day. "And next time you feel like snapping at someone remember you're not the only person being hurt here."

"Yeah, because if this stupid stunt doesn't work out you'll be the one spending the rest of your life in jail? Hm?" Naruto shrugged the hand from his back disdainfully, glaring holes into the floor.

Forcing his hand steady against the blonds back again Kakashi pushed him towards a black and white standard issue police car that each officer was made to use on the job. "Careful Naruto. If you don't want to spend time in the back of one of these again I'd watch what I say." Giving pause for effect Kakashi held Naruto in place with a hard tug on his shirt before shoving him to the left and the other side of the parking lot to stand by his own silver Cadillac XLR-V, standard issue for bad asses like himself.

Naruto sniffed, offended. "Those hunks of shit aren't so scary that I still wouldn't hot wire one and run you over." Throwing his hands onto the roof of the car he gave a lumbering sigh and let his body sink against the side. "God dammit, why me? I never hurt anybody."

Wind picking up Kakashi pulled his car keys from his pocket and ran his thumb across the pad of buttons on his car lock. "Do I have to remind you that less than two hours ago you bruised your boyfriend's pretty little face?" Smiling with some sort of deranged pleasure of word he giggled and unlocked his car, getting in gracefully.

"Oh shut up. He's not my boyfriend." Picking himself off the his side of the vehicle Naruto grumbled as he dropped a hand to grab the door handle and swung himself into a black leather seat begrudgingly. He slammed the door and didn't show

"Yet," Kakashi grinned, happier than a wolf locked in a chicken farm. God, what could be more fun than egging on a man who was going through the equivalent of the high school pangs of drama? Nothing, that's what. "but I'm sure that if you apologize in the right _way_, he'll forgive you in no time."

Stomping a foot against the dash board Naruto crossed his arms and sunk low into his seat until his eyes where level to his thigh. "If you weren't listening before I already apologized. And he forgave me."

"One might imagine that he just did that to keep things civil. He was, after all, trying to get you to go along with this."

"Then I shouldn't have to apologize for anything. It's his own fault for being so stupid."

Revving his engine the head of the NYPD gifted his passenger with a disapproving glance. "That's really selfish of you Naruto."

"Well you know what? I don't care." In even worst spirits than he had been in his cell Naruto turned to face the outside, muttering darkly under his breath. "Please, shut up and drive."

* * *

"Docket number 07N-0235. People vs. Uzumaki, Naruto." A nameless courtroom clerk walked across hardwood floors with a clipboard in his hand and a bored, quixotically uninterested tone in his voice. So much routine left much to be desired in the justice system, but no one really cared to notice when the clerk finally relinquished a thin folder to busty blond judge with questionable moral and work ethics.

Naruto walked into the courtroom, mind set on being a huge pain in the ass. Seeing Sasuke at the defendant's table looking a bit skittish as he moved around files in his briefcase, waiting for the judge to speak did nothing to ease his troubled thoughts; no matter how cute it looked. And damn did it look cute. He almost felt sorry for the man as he tried very hard to school his features and not glare at his opponent.

Sai, on the other hand, was picture perfect of composed indifference. He stood at his podium and was, too, waiting for the arraignment to get under way. What must have been bothering his own attorney was that Sai seem to radiate the aura of someone who found picking the dirt from her nails a much more important use of her time.

"On the charge of the homicide of Abumi, Zaku how does the defendant plead?" The judges' strong voice and pleasant face calmed the room as Naruto was walked over to stand at his seat next to Sasuke and mumble his plea.

"Not guilty, grandma."

Sasuke's offense registered long after he shouted out indignantly at his client. "Naruto- are you insane?!"

Waving her hand to dispel the issue the judge said. "Calm down counselor. This could very well help your case so try not to let it bother you." Bitchy smile in place Tsunade Sannin III leaned over her inappropriately raised desk and gazed down at the man who could pull off being her son if his eyes weren't so damn blue. "Now, young man. Would you mind saying that again a bit louder so my clerk can hear you."

Grumbling louder this time Naruto articulated with patronizing slowness, turning his head towards the clerk. "I said, 'Not guilty, grandma.'!" Feeling a pinch to the skin right around his wrist he spared regard for his lawyer and stuck out his tongue so as not to cry out.

What kept Sasuke from verbally slapping his client with a lecture on manners and respect was a healthy laugh from the judge's desk.

"Brat, you never cease to surprise me. You have real balls coming in here and showing me that lip." It was if she wanted to come off as scolding the man for his inadvertence, but instead was too much in a good mood to do so.

Naruto, who had known the judge now residing over the decisions made on his case since the death of his parents, saw no reason why just because he was in a court of law he should stop being who he was. It's not like the old lady cared anyway. A distraction was a distraction no matter how disrespectful he was and Tsunade would welcome it from the looks of her workload. "What can I say? I've got lips that just deserve showing off."

Sasuke rubbed his temples with straining forbearance. He whispered loudly to his side. "Would it kill you to be quiet? Please?"

"You know, I'm not really willing to risk it." Was the cheeky, but still somewhat dejected response.

"Mrs. Sannin." A stern voice perked up, sounding flustered at the situation. "I think we should get back on track; we're running behind scheduled today." A small woman to the right of the judge with short black hair and a pretty face clutched a stack of papers to her chest and glared up at her boss. As if she's said this a million times before she clicked her tongue in a way that seemed to get a reaction out of the judge.

"Alright alright Shizune. Gimme a break. I haven't seen the kid in weeks." Letting out a overworked sigh the older woman pouted.

"_Now _isn't the time to catch up on stuff like this ma'am. He's here on a charge of homicide if you'll remember."

"I remember Shizune, but I have every confidence in the NYPD to figure this problem out."

Coughing audibly Sai shifted his weight towards the judge's desk in reproach. "Excuse me your honor. There's no problem here. The defendant was spotted at the scene of the crime and the defendant himself confirmed that the weapon used to kill the victim was his own personalized knife."

Tsunade snapped her head up to glare at the man who had the nerve to open his trap. Without really acknowledging the previous statement she flicked her wrist with disdain towards the prosecution. "Are you trying to argue your case before we even get to trial counselor?" She asked rhetorically. "I'll hear you on bail Mr. Baikan."

Sai ignored the smug glances of self righteous belligerence from all corners of the courtroom. "The people request that the defendant be remanded without bail."

"Objection your honor. The defendant is not a flight risk. His guardians are respected officers of the law." Sasuke, finally given a chance to strut his stuff stood before the court proud and over confident at the apparent favor from the judge.

"I agree Mr. Uchiha-"

"Your honor, given the nature of the crime I don't think that's a suitable decision. He's a danger to the community. And since guardians have such high standing in the city it would be easy for them to send the defendant away." At the end of his rope Sai was grasping at straws trying to find a way to save face under the circumstances. It made it hard to win a case when the judge was notorious for helping the underdog. There was no way to get her off the bench either given her own status in the legal system.

What made this situation almost comically and ethically wrong was that Tsunade was his bosses' wife and just as protective of the defendant as her husband.

"I hope you're not suggesting that any officer of law would do something as stupid as help a murder escape fair prosecution, Mr. Baikan?" She grinned with a knowing smile and Sai had to visibly restrain himself from cursing at the old hag. Before he could response she 'hmm'd' a little in thought pausing him. He knew that she knew about her husband's plan to cheat the justice system and Sai was having a very hard time stomaching the obvious conspiracy unfolding under his feet.

"Fine counselor. You seem passionate about this so we'll settle half way." Grabbing her gavel from its silent, watchful reprieve and landing it smartly against her desk she barked out. "I remand the defendant to the custody of his attorney.

Sasuke and Naruto, who had been watching with smiles on their faces, silently enjoying the inner struggle their mutual enemy was fighting both straightened and frowned at the judge. Naruto not so much because he still stuck in his own little self-pitying world, but just enough to get his point across.

"Excuse me, what?' The raven attorney stumbled on his words, looking for an explanation. "Your honor I don't think that's the proper solution to this problem..."

"Oh no? Think about it counselor. His guardians are busy men. I know for a fact that they'll be conducting most of the investigations on this case. It seems a little unorthodox to force the police to cart around the defendant to places where he'd more than likely be able to influence evidence and testimony." The judge reasoned intelligently.

"Yes, but..." Sasuke wanted to say that Naruto was just as capable of all that if he was forced into his custody, but even he knew that wasn't true. Once he had the evidence and testimonies they would remain unchanged from that point on.

"But nothing Mr. Uchiha. Unless you can convince me in the next five second to reconsider I really need to send you all on your way. I'm very busy, as my assistance is kind enough to remind me." Tsunade picked a pen from a small tin underneath her desk and started to scribble what they all imagined was her name across the file.

Finally speaking his part Naruto waved himself from the defendant's table and started for the door. "Pfft. Whatever."

Resigned to his fate Sasuke waited until the file was tucked away to the judges assistant before nodding towards the judge and gathering his things together to rush out of the courtroom as fast as he could. _'Itachi is going to pay for this.' _he grumbled in his head.

He was positive that his brother's "dentist appointment" was just a huge lie but he hadn't had time before the arraignment to find out the real reason the older man had skipped out on helping him through his first time speaking in court. He reevaluated his performance and deemed it suitable for his first time, but from now on he promised he wouldn't let himself become rattled like he had at the judgment passed.

He met Naruto outside the door and from the looks of it the blond was having a extremely frustrating time trying to light the end of a death stick. His heart went out to his client.

Sasuke walked up to the man and called out, aiming for his attention. "Naruto?" He pulled the lighter away from shaken hands and in one controlled flick had the flame pressed to the end of the cigarette until a small puff of smoke indicated it was lit. "Naruto, you okay?"

"I'm fine Sasuke. You?"

Sighing the raven motioned for them to start walking out. "Fine. Just surprised we'd gotten _her _as the judge."

"Yeah, but what do you expected from Itachi and Jiryara?" Taking in a hard inhale of cancer Naruto pulled the cigarette from his lips and blew out second-hand smoke into the air in careless puffs. Obviously more relaxed he took a glance at his friend. "Probably planned the whole thing."

Wrinkling his nose at the smell from the cigarette Sasuke tried to stay on topic. "She's your aunt though, right? That's really lucky."

Naruto took another drag of his cigarette and shrugged a shoulder. "Not really. I feel like an even bigger monster for letting you guys do this." Honestly, trying to get out of his situation by breaking the law seemed to him far to ironic to make sense, but as he no longer tried to make sense of it all, so it was fitting.

"Don't worry, dobe. Once we get this over with we can focus on getting the actual people who did this."

Sasuke's optimistic utterance lifted the blond's spirits enough to smile sadly. "Sure."

And as they walked together out the door, a pair of eyes followed them with hate swimming in each onyx iris.

* * *

(1) He should just ask Sasuke to do it for him...Again. XD Get it? No? Go read the fucking manga!! Or watch the show.

(2) I bought these for my basketball coach. His key-ring was a damn mess so he loved them. :3...I also got his a Rubix cube, because I just wanna drive him insane. XD

**Plushie StickyNote:** I know! I KNOW! Just...Please. If you can help it, could you possibly do me the favor of leaving the words "Finally" or "About fucking time" out of the reviews I hope you'll be sending me? Thank you.

**Quote:** When did I find out I was God? Well, I was praying one night and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself.

©2008 Ruby Plushie


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